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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. tube — a container
  3. key — for a lock
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. chest — of your body
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. root — of a word
  11. lean — thin
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. chest — of your body
  16. prune — to trim
  17. key — the most important part
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. key — in music
  20. prune — to trim
  21. lean — to bend
  22. root — of a plant
  23. tube — the underground
  24. root — the cause

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