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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: root · vault · roll · bulb · wind · perch · kick · saw

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. root — of a plant
  3. root — of a word
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. roll — a cake
  6. wind — moving air
  7. root — the cause
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. kick — in football
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. perch — the fish
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bulb — for light
  20. roll — a list
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. bulb — for light
  24. perch — for a bird

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