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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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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: vault · snap · root · fall · bark · ground · present · wave

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bark — to shout
  3. ground — a position
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. present — there
  6. fall — to drop
  7. root — of a plant
  8. root — of a word
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to click
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. vault — a safe
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. ground — crushed
  18. present — the time now
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. root — the cause
  21. fall — the season
  22. present — a gift
  23. ground — the earth
  24. wave — of the sea

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