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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. present — a gift
  4. pit — a hole
  5. content — the amount
  6. snap — to click
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. key — in music
  9. root — the cause
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. present — there
  12. root — of a plant
  13. content — happy
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a skill
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. key — the most important part
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. present — the time now
  22. pit — in a race
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. root — of a word

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