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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: root · ground · wound · wave · bore · hand · vault · mark

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. root — the cause
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. hand — help
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. wound — an injury
  7. ground — a position
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. mark — a trace
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bore — to drill
  19. root — of a word
  20. hand — in cards
  21. wound — an injury
  22. vault — a safe
  23. root — of a plant
  24. ground — crushed

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