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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. root — of a word
  3. lie — to recline
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. ball — a dance
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bank — for money
  11. hand — in cards
  12. row — to paddle
  13. bank — of a river
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. root — the cause
  16. hand — help
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. ball — a great time
  19. key — for a lock
  20. key — in music
  21. key — the most important part
  22. row — a line
  23. bank — for money
  24. root — of a plant

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