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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: track · spell · face · vault · pit · root · kick · race

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. pit — a hole
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to point toward
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — the cause
  7. race — a contest
  8. track — a song
  9. root — of a word
  10. spell — a short time
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. vault — a safe
  16. kick — in football
  17. pit — in a race
  18. track — to keep track
  19. race — humankind
  20. track — a path
  21. face — to confront
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. spell — magic
  24. race — the arms race

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