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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 124 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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. race — a contest
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — thin
  6. key — the most important part
  7. root — the cause
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. key — in music
  10. rock — a stone
  11. race — the arms race
  12. root — of a plant
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. race — humankind
  16. cell — in biology
  17. key — for a lock
  18. scale — size or range
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. root — of a word
  21. rock — music
  22. scale — in music
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. rock — to move gently

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