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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 116 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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. shower — rain
  5. root — of a word
  6. plane — a tool
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. root — of a plant
  9. key — in music
  10. key — the most important part
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. hand — in cards
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. shower — to wash
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. root — the cause
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. hand — help

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