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

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. key — in music
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. cell — in biology
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. root — of a word
  7. root — of a plant
  8. file — a document
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — the most important part
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cell — a phone
  13. file — a tool
  14. row — to paddle
  15. root — the cause
  16. file — a line of people
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. row — a line

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