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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. mine — for digging
  4. hand — help
  5. hand — in cards
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. stand — to bear
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. root — the cause
  14. wake — a trail
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. root — of a word
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. stand — on your feet

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