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

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. key — for a lock
  3. squash — to crush
  4. present — a gift
  5. row — a line
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. root — of a plant
  8. squash — the sport
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. staff — employees
  12. key — the most important part
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — clever
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. root — of a word
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. staff — a stick
  20. present — the time now
  21. key — in music
  22. present — there
  23. root — the cause
  24. staff — employees

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