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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: vault · spring · root · chip · lie · swing · hand · track

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. track — a song
  4. swing — music
  5. root — of a plant
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. spring — the season
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. lie — to recline
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. spring — of water
  12. vault — a safe
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. track — to keep track
  15. root — of a word
  16. swing — in golf
  17. hand — in cards
  18. chip — to eat
  19. track — a path
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. chip — for betting
  22. spring — a coil
  23. hand — help
  24. root — the cause

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