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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. dip — to sink
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. root — of a plant
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. wound — an injury
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. root — of a word
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. root — the cause
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. bulb — for light
  24. vault — a safe

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