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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rush — hurry
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. key — in music
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. root — of a plant
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. root — the cause
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. track — to keep track
  16. key — for a lock
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. root — of a word
  19. dip — to sink
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. track — a song
  22. track — a path
  23. key — the most important part
  24. foot — a measure

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