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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 · rush · root · vault · bowl · lash · trunk · ground

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. root — the cause
  3. ground — a position
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. root — of a word
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. swing — in golf
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. ground — the earth
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. root — of a plant
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. rush — hurry
  19. ground — crushed
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — music
  24. vault — a safe

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