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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. kid — to tease
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. mug — a face
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. mug — to rob
  10. root — the cause
  11. kid — child
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. root — of a plant
  14. rock — music
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. root — of a word
  19. rock — a stone
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. branch — a division
  22. wake — a trail
  23. mug — a cup
  24. wave — of the sea

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