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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: plane · present · root · prune · roll · capital · last · vault

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. root — of a word
  3. present — a gift
  4. last — to go on
  5. root — of a plant
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. last — finally
  11. capital — money
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. capital — a city
  15. plane — a tool
  16. present — the time now
  17. last — final
  18. roll — a list
  19. prune — to trim
  20. roll — a cake
  21. root — the cause
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. present — there
  24. prune — to trim

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