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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. root — the cause
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. key — in music
  10. squash — the sport
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. mine — for digging
  16. spring — of water
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. root — of a plant
  21. squash — to crush
  22. spring — the season
  23. spring — a coil
  24. hide — to keep secret

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