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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: root · mate · rock · toast · saw · clip · staff · key

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. key — the most important part
  3. root — the cause
  4. clip — a video
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. clip — to cut
  7. mate — a partner
  8. staff — a stick
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. staff — employees
  12. root — of a word
  13. rock — a stone
  14. mate — a friend
  15. key — in music
  16. saw — the tool
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. mate — to breed
  19. key — for a lock
  20. root — of a plant
  21. staff — employees
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. toast — bread
  24. clip — for paper

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