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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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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: tear · vault · deal · swing · stand · root · hide · bat

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. root — the cause
  8. vault — a safe
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. swing — in golf
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. tear — from crying
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bat — the animal
  20. swing — music
  21. deal — to handle
  22. root — of a plant
  23. tear — to rip
  24. swing — to play on

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