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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. root — of a plant
  3. key — for a lock
  4. hand — in cards
  5. key — in music
  6. wind — moving air
  7. root — the cause
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. stem — to come from
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. hand — help
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. root — of a word
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. key — the most important part

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