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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 · key · root · season · row · pass · lie · file

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. vault — a safe
  3. root — the cause
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. root — of a plant
  7. lie — to recline
  8. root — of a word
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. file — a document
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. key — for a lock
  13. season — in sport
  14. key — the most important part
  15. row — to paddle
  16. season — of the year
  17. pass — a permit
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. row — a line
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. file — a line of people
  23. file — a tool
  24. row — a quarrel

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