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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 120 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. band — a music group
  3. root — of a plant
  4. present — there
  5. key — the most important part
  6. suit — to fit
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. band — a ring
  12. root — of a word
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. suit — in cards
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. key — for a lock
  19. mine — for digging
  20. key — in music
  21. suit — clothes
  22. root — the cause
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. present — the time now

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