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

Word bank: deal · last · bat · calf · vault · stand · root · rock

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. root — of a plant
  3. deal — to handle
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. rock — music
  6. root — the cause
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bat — the animal
  9. root — of a word
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. vault — a safe
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. last — final
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stand — to bear
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. last — finally

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