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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: foot · vault · root · kick · charge · tear · fan · ball

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. tear — from crying
  5. root — of a word
  6. foot — a measure
  7. tear — to rip
  8. ball — a great time
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. charge — a price
  11. kick — in football
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. ball — a dance
  15. charge — electricity
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. root — the cause
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. vault — a safe
  21. root — of a plant
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. charge — in control
  24. tear — from crying

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