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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 116 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. root — of a word
  3. root — the cause
  4. key — for a lock
  5. tear — from crying
  6. key — the most important part
  7. tear — to rip
  8. face — to point toward
  9. prune — to trim
  10. face — to confront
  11. root — of a plant
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — letters
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — to fit
  16. capital — a city
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. face — part of the head
  19. prune — to trim
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. capital — money
  22. spell — a short time
  23. suit — clothes
  24. tear — from crying

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