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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bear · lie · court · sharp · root · vault · straw · fan

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. bear — the animal
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. court — of a king
  8. court — of law
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. vault — a safe
  12. root — the cause
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. sharp — clever
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. court — for sport
  20. lie — to recline
  21. root — of a plant
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

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