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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. root — of a word
  3. rock — a stone
  4. branch — a division
  5. foot — a measure
  6. rest — a break
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. key — in music
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. root — the cause
  11. key — the most important part
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. root — of a plant
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. kick — in football
  16. capital — a city
  17. capital — money
  18. rock — music
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — what's left
  23. key — for a lock
  24. foot — part of the body

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