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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. root — of a plant
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. root — the cause
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. land — a country
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. root — of a word
  16. rash — a series
  17. snap — to click
  18. rash — hasty
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. key — for a lock
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. key — in music
  23. land — to come down
  24. land — ground

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