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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.

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: bass · bat · root · vault · wax · present · spring · charge

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. present — there
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. present — the time now
  6. root — of a word
  7. bass — low music
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. spring — of water
  10. charge — in control
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. charge — electricity
  13. wax — to grow
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. vault — a safe
  19. bass — the fish
  20. root — the cause
  21. present — a gift
  22. charge — a price
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. root — of a plant

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