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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. root — of a plant
  3. board — to get on
  4. wind — moving air
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. root — of a word
  9. squash — to crush
  10. board — a committee
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. key — in music
  13. spring — of water
  14. spring — the season
  15. spring — a coil
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. root — the cause
  19. squash — the sport
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. mine — for digging
  22. key — for a lock
  23. key — the most important part
  24. wind — to turn a key

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