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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: leaves · root · vault · bay · row · arm · kid · deal

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. kid — to tease
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. row — to paddle
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. root — the cause
  11. row — a line
  12. root — of a word
  13. kid — child
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. vault — a safe
  19. root — of a plant
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. deal — to handle
  24. leaves — to go away

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