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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: root · dip · fork · vault · squash · cabinet · tear · spell

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. vault — a safe
  3. tear — from crying
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. tear — to rip
  6. spell — magic
  7. root — the cause
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. fork — in a road
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. root — of a plant
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. squash — the sport
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. spell — letters
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. tear — from crying
  22. squash — to crush
  23. spell — a short time
  24. dip — to sink

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