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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. stand — to bear
  3. rush — hurry
  4. vault — a safe
  5. key — the most important part
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mine — for digging
  8. key — in music
  9. mate — a partner
  10. root — of a plant
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. object — to protest
  16. object — a thing
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — the cause
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. object — an aim
  24. key — for a lock

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