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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.

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 · wound · rock · sharp · calf · bear · craft · root

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bear — the animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. root — of a plant
  5. sharp — clever
  6. key — for a lock
  7. craft — a skill
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. root — the cause
  10. key — in music
  11. rock — music
  12. wound — an injury
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. craft — boats
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. root — of a word
  19. bear — the animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. wound — an injury
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rock — a stone

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