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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
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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: root · dip · stick · lie · march · spring · vault · mug

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. spring — the season
  3. root — the cause
  4. mug — to rob
  5. spring — of water
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mug — a cup
  8. march — the month
  9. dip — to sink
  10. root — of a plant
  11. spring — a coil
  12. mug — a face
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. lie — to recline
  15. root — of a word
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. march — music
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. vault — a safe
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. dip — a sauce

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