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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. row — a line
  4. root — of a word
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. root — of a plant
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. row — to paddle
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. key — the most important part
  11. lie — to recline
  12. root — the cause
  13. spring — the season
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. spring — of water
  19. key — in music
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. key — for a lock
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. trunk — of a car

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