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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

Word bank: root · coach · lie · ground · vault · spring · trunk · content

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  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. spring — the season
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. spring — a coil
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. ground — the earth
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. ground — crushed
  9. root — of a plant
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. root — of a word
  12. spring — of water
  13. content — the amount
  14. root — the cause
  15. ground — a position
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. content — happy
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. coach — a trainer
  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