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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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 · bowl · vault · can · rush · hand · cell · coach

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. root — the cause
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. root — of a word
  8. can — a tin
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rush — hurry
  11. vault — a safe
  12. can — a tin
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. root — of a plant
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. cell — in biology
  17. hand — in cards
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. cell — a phone
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. hand — help

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