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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 had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. root — of a word
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. bear — the animal
  5. club — for dancing
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. wax — to grow
  11. club — a group
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. row — to paddle
  14. club — for golf
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. hand — in cards
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — the cause
  20. hand — help
  21. bear — the animal
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. row — a line

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