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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 116 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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — in music
  3. ground — the earth
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. ground — a position
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. root — of a word
  8. season — in sport
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. cell — a phone
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. root — the cause
  14. cell — in biology
  15. key — the most important part
  16. ground — crushed
  17. fall — the season
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. root — of a plant
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. season — of the year

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