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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. bass — the fish
  3. root — of a plant
  4. spring — of water
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bass — low music
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. key — the most important part
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. spring — a coil
  16. root — the cause
  17. prune — to trim
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. stand — to bear
  20. key — in music
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. root — of a word
  23. spring — the season
  24. stand — on your feet

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