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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. key — for a lock
  3. pop — to visit
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. root — of a word
  6. root — the cause
  7. pop — music
  8. band — a ring
  9. root — of a plant
  10. mine — for digging
  11. key — the most important part
  12. deal — to handle
  13. pop — soda
  14. key — in music
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. band — a music group
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. rest — a break
  20. rest — what's left
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. rest — what's left
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. mine — belonging to me

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