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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bank — for money
  4. content — happy
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bank — of a river
  7. root — the cause
  8. content — the amount
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bore — to tire
  13. root — of a plant
  14. key — the most important part
  15. pop — music
  16. bank — for money
  17. pop — to visit
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bore — to drill
  20. key — in music
  21. pop — soda
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. root — of a word

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