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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. spring — a coil
  3. cell — in biology
  4. key — in music
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. file — a tool
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. spring — of water
  9. root — of a word
  10. file — a document
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. spring — the season
  14. root — the cause
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. file — a line of people
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. key — the most important part
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. root — of a plant
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. cell — a phone
  24. snap — to click

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