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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. tear — from crying
  3. spell — magic
  4. spell — letters
  5. suit — in cards
  6. bank — for money
  7. suit — to fit
  8. bank — for money
  9. key — for a lock
  10. suit — clothes
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bank — of a river
  13. root — the cause
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — in music
  16. field — a subject
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. root — of a plant
  20. tear — to rip
  21. field — farmland
  22. tear — from crying
  23. root — of a word
  24. field — for sport

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