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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 120 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: fall · stick · snap · spring · pit · staff · root · key

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. spring — of water
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. root — of a word
  7. fall — to drop
  8. spring — a coil
  9. root — of a plant
  10. staff — a stick
  11. snap — to click
  12. staff — employees
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. root — the cause
  15. key — for a lock
  16. key — the most important part
  17. fall — to drop
  18. key — in music
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pit — a hole
  21. staff — employees
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. fall — the season

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