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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: bay · root · tube · bore · ground · stem · lie · vault

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. ground — crushed
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. root — of a plant
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. root — of a word
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. tube — a container
  11. root — the cause
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. stem — to come from
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — the earth
  24. vault — a safe

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