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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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Word bank
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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. root — of a plant
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. chest — of your body
  8. kid — to tease
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. root — of a word
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. key — the most important part
  14. chest — of your body
  15. foot — a measure
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. key — for a lock
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. kid — child
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. root — the cause
  24. key — in music

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