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

Word bank: pitcher · leaves · bear · vault · temple · kick · deal · root

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. root — of a word
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. root — the cause
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. root — of a plant
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. kick — in football
  19. deal — to handle
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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