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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. root — of a plant
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. scale — in music
  6. key — for a lock
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. last — final
  9. wake — a trail
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. key — in music
  12. root — the cause
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. land — ground
  16. rush — hurry
  17. land — a country
  18. key — the most important part
  19. last — finally
  20. last — to go on
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. scale — size or range
  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