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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
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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: stand · rash · season · straw · saw · vault · root · degree

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. stand — to bear
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. degree — from a university
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — of a word
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. saw — the tool
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. degree — an amount
  12. season — in sport
  13. saw — the tool
  14. season — of the year
  15. rash — hasty
  16. degree — temperature
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. root — the cause
  22. rash — a series
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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