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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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468
Word bank
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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. mark — a trace
  3. drill — the tool
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. race — humankind
  7. mark — a grade
  8. root — of a plant
  9. rash — a series
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. race — the arms race
  13. rest — a break
  14. drill — a practice
  15. foot — a measure
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. rest — what's left
  18. root — the cause
  19. race — a contest
  20. drill — army training
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rest — what's left
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. rash — hasty

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