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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. chest — of your body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. scale — size or range
  6. wake — a trail
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. chest — of your body
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. chest — a box
  16. scale — in music
  17. root — of a word
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. root — of a plant
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. wake — before a funeral

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