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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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 word
  3. bulb — for light
  4. last — final
  5. board — to get on
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. root — the cause
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bulb — for light
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. last — finally
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. root — of a plant
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. perch — the fish
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. last — to go on
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. board — a committee

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