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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. root — the cause
  4. march — music
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. lean — to bend
  7. cap — of ice
  8. lean — thin
  9. march — the month
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. hand — help
  13. march — the month
  14. root — of a word
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. cap — a hat
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. cap — a lid
  22. rush — hurry
  23. root — of a plant
  24. hand — part of the body

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