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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
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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: bulb · tear · cell · root · row · key · staff · sharp

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. row — a line
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. staff — employees
  6. cell — a phone
  7. root — the cause
  8. root — of a word
  9. tear — from crying
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — the most important part
  12. row — to paddle
  13. key — in music
  14. bulb — for light
  15. staff — employees
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. cell — in biology
  19. root — of a plant
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — to rip
  23. staff — a stick
  24. sharp — with an edge

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