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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. net — after costs
  4. root — the cause
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. net — in sport
  7. root — of a word
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. tear — to rip
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. club — for golf
  12. wound — an injury
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. club — for dancing
  15. roll — a list
  16. pass — a permit
  17. net — for catching
  18. tear — from crying
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. roll — a cake
  21. tear — from crying
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. club — a group
  24. wound — an injury

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