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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: swing · stick · lean · root · dip · season · vault · bulb

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  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. season — of the year
  2. lean — thin
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. swing — music
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. root — of a plant
  7. lean — to bend
  8. swing — to play on
  9. vault — a safe
  10. dip — to sink
  11. root — of a word
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. season — in sport
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. bulb — for light
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. swing — in golf
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. lean — to rest against
  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