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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.

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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. key — in music
  3. pop — soda
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bank — of a river
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. key — for a lock
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. lean — thin
  12. root — the cause
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — a grade
  15. lean — to bend
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pop — music
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bank — for money
  20. pop — to visit
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. wind — moving air
  23. root — of a word
  24. bank — for money

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