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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
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: sharp · root · vault · bay · tube · calf · fan · plane

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. root — of a word
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. root — the cause
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. tube — a container
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. tube — the underground
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. vault — a safe
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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