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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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. bat — the animal
  3. fall — to drop
  4. saw — the tool
  5. root — of a word
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. fall — to drop
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. root — the cause
  15. deal — to handle
  16. date — the fruit
  17. bass — low music
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bass — the fish
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. saw — the tool
  24. fall — the season

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