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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. key — in music
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. fall — to drop
  5. foot — a measure
  6. cap — a hat
  7. root — of a word
  8. key — for a lock
  9. mug — to rob
  10. cap — a lid
  11. fall — the season
  12. cell — in biology
  13. scale — size or range
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. scale — in music
  16. key — the most important part
  17. fall — to drop
  18. root — the cause
  19. cap — of ice
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. cell — a phone
  22. mug — a cup
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. root — of a plant

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