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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: ground · snap · coach · vault · hide · root · prune · fork

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. vault — a safe
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. ground — the earth
  9. root — of a word
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. ground — a position
  12. root — of a plant
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. fork — in a road
  19. prune — to trim
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. ground — crushed
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. root — the cause
  24. prune — to trim

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