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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. root — the cause
  5. spring — the season
  6. season — in sport
  7. rest — a break
  8. spring — of water
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. spring — a coil
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. rest — what's left
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. root — of a word
  15. key — for a lock
  16. season — of the year
  17. key — the most important part
  18. ball — a great time
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. ball — a dance
  21. rest — what's left
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. root — of a plant
  24. plane — a tool

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