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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. track — a song
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. stand — to bear
  5. root — the cause
  6. track — to keep track
  7. rest — what's left
  8. track — a path
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. root — of a word
  12. branch — a division
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. fall — to drop
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. rest — a break
  17. wind — moving air
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. wind — moving air
  20. root — of a plant
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. fall — the season
  23. rest — what's left
  24. fall — to drop

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