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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. root — of a plant
  3. key — for a lock
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a ring
  6. band — a music group
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. roll — a cake
  17. key — in music
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. roll — a list
  20. root — the cause
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. pass — a permit
  23. root — of a word
  24. leaves — of a tree

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