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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.

Words on the sheet
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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. root — the cause
  3. root — of a word
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. root — of a plant
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. cell — a phone
  10. spell — a short time
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. spell — letters
  16. drill — army training
  17. spell — magic
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. drill — a practice
  20. drill — the tool
  21. foot — a measure
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — the fruit
  24. kick — in football

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