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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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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: suit · vault · ball · root · rush · clip · saw · roll

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. vault — a safe
  3. root — of a word
  4. clip — to cut
  5. clip — a video
  6. ball — a great time
  7. saw — the tool
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — hurry
  12. saw — the tool
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. clip — for paper
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. suit — to fit
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. suit — in cards
  20. roll — a list
  21. roll — a cake
  22. ball — a dance
  23. suit — clothes
  24. root — the cause

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