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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. root — the cause
  3. vault — a safe
  4. file — a line of people
  5. fork — in a road
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. file — a document
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. dip — to sink
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — of a plant
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. file — a tool
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. plane — a tool
  24. fork — a garden tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com