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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 116 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: press · ruler · wound · bowl · mark · root · vault · tear

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. wound — an injury
  5. mark — a trace
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a plant
  8. tear — to rip
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. tear — from crying
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. vault — a safe
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — to push
  16. press — newspapers
  17. mark — a grade
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wound — an injury
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. root — of a word
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. tear — from crying

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