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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. bulb — for light
  3. key — for a lock
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — the tool
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. root — the cause
  8. saw — the tool
  9. drill — a practice
  10. root — of a word
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. root — of a plant
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bulb — for light
  15. saw — the tool
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. key — in music
  18. key — the most important part

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