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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: root · fork · wind · vault · cell · foot · mark · snap

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. foot — a measure
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. wind — moving air
  6. root — of a word
  7. vault — a safe
  8. snap — to click
  9. mark — a grade
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. mark — a trace
  12. cell — a phone
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. root — the cause
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. root — of a plant
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. cell — in biology

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