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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. wound — an injury
  5. club — for dancing
  6. key — in music
  7. club — for golf
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. face — part of the head
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. row — to paddle
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. row — a line
  16. face — to point toward
  17. root — the cause
  18. bulb — for light
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. root — of a word
  22. key — the most important part
  23. club — a group
  24. face — to confront

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