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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. root — the cause
  3. track — to keep track
  4. lean — thin
  5. root — of a plant
  6. tube — the underground
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. track — a song
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. wound — an injury
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. root — of a word
  14. tube — a container
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. key — in music
  17. key — the most important part
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. key — for a lock
  20. lean — to bend
  21. chest — a box
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — of your body
  24. wound — an injury

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