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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. object — to protest
  4. key — in music
  5. prune — to trim
  6. key — for a lock
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. root — of a plant
  9. object — a thing
  10. root — of a word
  11. prune — to trim
  12. craft — boats
  13. craft — a skill
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. root — the cause
  16. object — an aim
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. prune — the fruit

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