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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. root — of a word
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. can — to be able to
  5. chest — of your body
  6. root — of a plant
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. chest — a box
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. can — a tin
  13. chip — to eat
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. roll — a list
  16. roll — a cake
  17. chip — for betting
  18. root — the cause
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. can — a tin
  23. chest — of your body
  24. arm — part of the body

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