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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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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. root — of a plant
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. can — a tin
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. can — a tin
  7. present — a gift
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. swing — music
  10. present — there
  11. swing — to play on
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. present — the time now
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. can — to be able to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. root — of a word
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. swing — in golf
  22. root — the cause
  23. bark — to shout
  24. arm — a part of something

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