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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 120 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: vault · present · drill · root · lie · hide · perch · wound

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. vault — a safe
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — the fish
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. root — of a plant
  7. drill — army training
  8. present — the time now
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. present — a gift
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. wound — an injury
  15. root — of a word
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. lie — to recline
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. drill — a practice
  21. drill — the tool
  22. root — the cause
  23. present — there
  24. wound — an injury

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