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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. key — for a lock
  3. clip — a video
  4. cap — a lid
  5. root — the cause
  6. root — of a plant
  7. clip — for paper
  8. clip — to cut
  9. hand — in cards
  10. key — in music
  11. object — an aim
  12. plane — a tool
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cap — of ice
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. hand — help
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. object — a thing
  21. cap — a hat
  22. root — of a word
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. object — to protest

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