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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — the most important part
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. pitch — completely
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — thin
  9. bore — to drill
  10. root — of a word
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. wound — an injury
  15. key — in music
  16. root — the cause
  17. bore — to tire
  18. stem — to come from
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. lean — to bend
  23. root — of a plant
  24. coach — a trainer

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