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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 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. suit — in cards
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. last — final
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. last — finally
  8. root — the cause
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. suit — to fit
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. fall — to drop
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pitch — completely
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. last — to go on
  19. fall — the season
  20. root — of a plant
  21. fall — to drop
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. suit — clothes
  24. ruler — a monarch

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