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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. root — the cause
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. key — the most important part
  5. row — to paddle
  6. drill — a practice
  7. mark — a grade
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. drill — army training
  11. shower — to wash
  12. shower — rain
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. key — for a lock
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. root — of a word
  20. drill — the tool
  21. mark — a trace
  22. key — in music
  23. row — a line
  24. pitcher — a jug

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