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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: tube · root · ground · rash · leaves · calf · roll · key

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — of a plant
  5. rash — hasty
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. roll — a cake
  9. root — the cause
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. tube — the underground
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. key — for a lock
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. ground — the earth
  18. ground — crushed
  19. tube — a container
  20. key — in music
  21. ground — a position
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. roll — a list
  24. calf — a young animal

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