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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 120 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. root — of a plant
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. root — the cause
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. root — of a word
  9. rock — music
  10. bulb — for light
  11. degree — temperature
  12. mate — a friend
  13. degree — from a university
  14. rash — hasty
  15. vault — a safe
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. rash — a series
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. deal — to handle
  20. rock — a stone
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. mate — a partner
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. degree — an amount

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