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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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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: coach · hide · vault · present · mine · root · ruler · jam

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. root — of a plant
  3. present — the time now
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. vault — a safe
  6. present — a gift
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — for digging
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. root — of a word
  19. present — there
  20. root — the cause
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. jam — in traffic

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