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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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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. chair — a leader
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — the fish
  6. spring — the season
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — a trail
  9. file — a line of people
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. root — the cause
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. spring — a coil
  15. file — a tool
  16. root — of a word
  17. spring — of water
  18. bass — low music
  19. file — a document
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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