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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 · bay · leaves · rush · saw · wave · vault · staff

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. staff — employees
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. vault — a safe
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. staff — a stick
  10. rush — hurry
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. root — of a plant
  14. saw — the tool
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. root — the cause
  19. root — of a word
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. saw — the tool
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. staff — employees

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