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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. suit — to fit
  4. root — the cause
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bore — to drill
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. suit — clothes
  10. present — there
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. present — a gift
  14. root — of a plant
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. present — the time now
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. bore — to tire
  23. suit — in cards
  24. 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