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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cell — a phone
  5. key — in music
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. cap — a hat
  8. root — of a plant
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. season — in sport
  12. rock — music
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. cap — a lid
  16. plane — a tool
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. rock — a stone
  20. key — the most important part
  21. root — the cause
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. root — of a word
  24. season — of the year

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