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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: rush · root · straw · vault · bark · deal · mark · fall

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. mark — a trace
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. root — the cause
  6. fall — the season
  7. vault — a safe
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. root — of a plant
  13. fall — to drop
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a grade
  16. root — of a word
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. bark — to shout
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. deal — to handle
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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