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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: root · pound · snap · vault · tear · cell · stock · rule

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. vault — a safe
  3. root — the cause
  4. root — of a plant
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. root — of a word
  7. cell — in biology
  8. stock — goods
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. snap — to click
  11. rule — government
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. stock — shares
  14. rule — a law
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — to rip
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. cell — a phone
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. pound — a weight
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. pound — to hit hard

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