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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: court · root · dip · vault · lie · race · branch · snap

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. court — for sport
  3. lie — to recline
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. root — of a word
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. root — the cause
  10. court — of law
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. court — of a king
  14. vault — a safe
  15. dip — to sink
  16. race — humankind
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. root — of a plant
  19. race — the arms race
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. race — a contest
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to click
  24. branch — a division

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