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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: wake · present · root · trunk · chair · stick · spell · key

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. root — of a plant
  3. key — for a lock
  4. root — the cause
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. spell — magic
  8. wake — a trail
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. chair — a leader
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. root — of a word
  13. spell — a short time
  14. key — in music
  15. present — the time now
  16. spell — letters
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. present — a gift
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. key — the most important part

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