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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: face · root · deal · vault · shower · fan · pound · roll

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. roll — a list
  5. shower — rain
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. root — of a word
  11. face — to point toward
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. deal — to handle
  16. shower — to wash
  17. roll — a cake
  18. root — the cause
  19. face — part of the head
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. root — of a plant
  22. pound — a weight
  23. face — to confront
  24. roll — on a roll

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