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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 116 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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. shower — to wash
  4. root — the cause
  5. fork — in a road
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. shower — rain
  8. firm — decided
  9. firm — steady
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. root — of a word
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. bark — to shout
  17. rule — a law
  18. wax — to grow
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. firm — a company
  22. rule — government
  23. root — of a plant
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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