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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. key — for a lock
  3. root — the cause
  4. capital — a city
  5. face — to confront
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. capital — money
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. root — of a plant
  12. root — of a word
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. key — the most important part
  17. face — to point toward
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. key — in music
  20. branch — a division
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. face — part of the head

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