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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: deal · vault · net · last · chair · leaves · bulb · root

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. last — to go on
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bulb — for light
  5. root — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. chair — a leader
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. root — the cause
  12. net — in sport
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. net — for catching
  15. deal — to handle
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. root — of a word
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. last — final
  23. vault — a safe
  24. net — after costs

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