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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: rush · root · game · lash · foot · vault · tear · club

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. tear — to rip
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. club — a group
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. root — the cause
  10. game — wild animals
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. game — a match
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. tear — from crying
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. club — for golf
  19. foot — a measure
  20. vault — a safe
  21. root — of a plant
  22. rush — hurry
  23. club — for dancing
  24. root — of a word

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