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

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. root — the cause
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. cell — in biology
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. cell — a phone
  16. root — of a plant
  17. pass — a permit
  18. root — of a word

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