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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: root · rest · lean · pound · vault · march · track · saw

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. root — of a plant
  3. vault — a safe
  4. track — a path
  5. rest — what's left
  6. lean — to bend
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. rest — a break
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. track — to keep track
  11. rest — what's left
  12. root — the cause
  13. root — of a word
  14. march — the month
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pound — a weight
  17. track — a song
  18. march — music
  19. saw — the tool
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. march — the month
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. saw — the tool

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