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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. root — of a plant
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. wind — moving air
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. key — in music
  12. root — the cause
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. key — for a lock
  17. wind — moving air
  18. fine — high quality
  19. bulb — for light
  20. kick — in football
  21. bulb — for light
  22. fine — all right
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. root — of a word

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