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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. rash — hasty
  3. key — for a lock
  4. spring — the season
  5. rash — a series
  6. spring — of water
  7. key — in music
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. root — of a word
  10. bound — certain
  11. root — the cause
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. key — the most important part
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bound — tied together
  16. pass — a permit
  17. root — of a plant
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. bound — obliged
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. spring — a coil

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