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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: plane · snap · wind · root · saw · stock · rock · vault

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. rock — music
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. root — of a plant
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. stock — goods
  7. wind — moving air
  8. snap — to click
  9. root — of a word
  10. saw — the tool
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. vault — a safe
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. rock — a stone
  17. stock — shares
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. saw — the tool
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. wind — moving air
  22. plane — a tool
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. root — the cause

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