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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. key — in music
  3. key — for a lock
  4. root — the cause
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. row — a line
  7. row — to paddle
  8. key — the most important part
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. root — of a word
  17. root — of a plant
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. lean — thin
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. lean — to bend
  22. staff — a stick
  23. staff — employees
  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