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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: bulb · vault · rash · pound · chair · spell · root · shower

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. rash — hasty
  3. pound — a weight
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. shower — rain
  6. vault — a safe
  7. shower — to wash
  8. root — the cause
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. root — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. spell — magic
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. root — of a word
  19. spell — a short time
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. bulb — for light
  22. spell — letters
  23. rash — a series
  24. chair — a leader

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