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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.

Make a worksheet

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: key · root · staff · spell · straw · bat · net · safe

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. spell — magic
  3. bat — the animal
  4. net — after costs
  5. key — the most important part
  6. spell — a short time
  7. root — of a word
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. staff — employees
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. net — in sport
  13. spell — letters
  14. key — in music
  15. root — the cause
  16. staff — employees
  17. key — for a lock
  18. root — of a plant
  19. net — for catching
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bat — in an idiom

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