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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. rest — what's left
  3. season — of the year
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. root — the cause
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. season — in sport
  12. root — of a word
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. wax — to grow
  17. foot — a measure
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — a break
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. wound — an injury
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. season — to add flavour

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