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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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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: pass · key · snap · wave · roll · root · tube · tear

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. key — in music
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tube — the underground
  8. root — the cause
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to click
  11. pass — a permit
  12. root — of a plant
  13. roll — a list
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. tube — a container
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. root — of a word
  20. roll — a cake
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. key — the most important part
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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