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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. shower — rain
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. key — in music
  5. root — of a word
  6. key — the most important part
  7. last — to go on
  8. can — to be able to
  9. root — the cause
  10. can — a tin
  11. shower — to wash
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. dip — to sink
  16. last — final
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. key — for a lock
  20. fork — in a road
  21. root — of a plant
  22. can — a tin
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. fork — to eat with

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