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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. degree — an amount
  3. pitch — completely
  4. tear — from crying
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. suit — to fit
  11. suit — in cards
  12. chest — a box
  13. root — of a word
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. chest — of your body
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. root — the cause
  20. suit — clothes
  21. degree — from a university
  22. vault — a safe
  23. chest — of your body
  24. degree — temperature

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