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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: foot · root · spring · march · fan · vault · bore · chest

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. spring — of water
  3. march — the month
  4. foot — a measure
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bore — to tire
  8. spring — a coil
  9. chest — of your body
  10. root — of a plant
  11. vault — a safe
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. chest — of your body
  14. march — the month
  15. march — music
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. spring — the season
  20. bore — to drill
  21. root — of a word
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. root — the cause
  24. fan — a supporter

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