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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. mate — a partner
  4. spring — the season
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. mate — to breed
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. spring — of water
  10. spring — a coil
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. key — the most important part
  13. fall — the season
  14. fall — to drop
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. fall — to drop
  17. key — in music
  18. snap — to click
  19. root — of a plant
  20. mate — a friend
  21. root — of a word
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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