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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. root — the cause
  3. key — the most important part
  4. march — music
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rule — a law
  10. cue — a hint
  11. hand — help
  12. key — for a lock
  13. root — of a plant
  14. key — in music
  15. march — the month
  16. rule — government
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — for pool
  19. root — of a word
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. hand — in cards
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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