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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rock · chest · hand · key · foot · root

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. hand — in cards
  4. key — for a lock
  5. rock — music
  6. root — the cause
  7. hand — help
  8. chest — a box
  9. root — of a plant
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. key — the most important part
  14. foot — a measure
  15. key — in music
  16. rock — a stone
  17. chest — of your body
  18. 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