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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: cue · vault · march · shower · arm · season · rest · root

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. rest — a break
  6. cue — a signal
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — the cause
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. shower — rain
  11. march — the month
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. cue — for pool
  15. season — in sport
  16. rest — what's left
  17. root — of a plant
  18. season — of the year
  19. shower — to wash
  20. cue — a hint
  21. march — music
  22. vault — a safe
  23. march — the month
  24. rest — what's left

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