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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: wind · vault · mouse · mark · chest · spell · mate · root

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. mark — a grade
  4. spell — magic
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. wind — moving air
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. mate — a partner
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. wind — moving air
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — of your body
  14. spell — a short time
  15. chest — a box
  16. root — of a word
  17. mate — a friend
  18. vault — a safe
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mate — to breed
  21. spell — letters
  22. mark — a trace
  23. root — the cause
  24. mouse — for a computer

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