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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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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: rest · rock · wound · root · lash · land · current · vault

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  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. land — ground
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. root — of a plant
  4. rest — a break
  5. land — to come down
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. current — of water
  8. root — the cause
  9. wound — an injury
  10. rock — music
  11. root — of a word
  12. current — happening now
  13. wound — an injury
  14. vault — a safe
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. land — a country
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — what's left
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. rock — a stone
  22. current — electric
  23. lash — to lash out
  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