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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 124 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: foot · root · plane · bound · snap · mine · chest · key

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. plane — a tool
  4. foot — a measure
  5. chest — a box
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bound — tied together
  9. snap — to click
  10. mine — for digging
  11. bound — obliged
  12. chest — of your body
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. root — of a word
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bound — certain
  20. key — for a lock
  21. key — in music
  22. root — of a plant
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. mine — belonging to me

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