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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. rash — a series
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. rash — hasty
  5. dip — to sink
  6. branch — a division
  7. root — of a word
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. band — a ring
  14. band — a music group
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. saw — the tool
  17. root — the cause
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. root — of a plant
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. saw — the tool

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