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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 116 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: dip · wind · rash · rock · root · clip · mouse · vault

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. rash — a series
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. rock — music
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. clip — for paper
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. dip — to sink
  13. root — the cause
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. wind — moving air
  16. rock — a stone
  17. root — of a word
  18. vault — a safe
  19. root — of a plant
  20. clip — to cut
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. wind — moving air
  23. clip — a video
  24. mouse — the animal

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