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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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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: band · foot · firm · root · tear · vault · lean · patient

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — a safe
  3. lean — thin
  4. root — of a word
  5. band — a ring
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. tear — to rip
  10. foot — a measure
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. tear — from crying
  13. firm — steady
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. root — the cause
  17. tear — from crying
  18. root — of a plant
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. firm — decided
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. band — a music group
  23. lean — to bend
  24. firm — a company

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