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

Word bank: foot · cell · root · last · stick · key · shower · bore

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. last — finally
  4. key — for a lock
  5. cell — a phone
  6. shower — rain
  7. shower — to wash
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bore — to drill
  10. key — in music
  11. foot — a measure
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. last — to go on
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. root — of a plant
  17. bore — to tire
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. root — of a word
  20. last — final
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. cell — in biology
  23. key — the most important part
  24. root — the cause

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