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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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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: fork · root · bear · club · kid · lie · key · bay

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — in music
  4. club — for dancing
  5. club — a group
  6. root — of a plant
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. key — the most important part
  10. root — of a word
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. lie — to recline
  14. root — the cause
  15. bear — the animal
  16. kid — to tease
  17. bear — the animal
  18. fork — in a road
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. kid — child
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. club — for golf

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