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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: row · tear · pass · wind · vault · fine · pit · root

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. tear — to rip
  4. root — the cause
  5. fine — all right
  6. fine — high quality
  7. root — of a plant
  8. pit — in a race
  9. vault — a safe
  10. wind — moving air
  11. root — of a word
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. tear — from crying
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. row — to paddle
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. pass — a permit
  23. tear — from crying
  24. row — a line

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