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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. root — of a plant
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bank — for money
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. root — of a word
  7. key — in music
  8. lean — thin
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. key — for a lock
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. root — the cause
  13. foot — a measure
  14. pop — soda
  15. bank — of a river
  16. pop — to visit
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. bank — for money
  21. bat — the animal
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. key — the most important part

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