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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 116 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: straw · key · face · trunk · root · content · mine · cap

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. face — to point toward
  3. key — in music
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. face — part of the head
  7. root — the cause
  8. root — of a plant
  9. cap — a hat
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — for digging
  12. root — of a word
  13. key — the most important part
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. face — to confront
  16. cap — a lid
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. content — the amount
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. cap — of ice
  23. content — happy
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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