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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. file — a tool
  3. current — electric
  4. root — the cause
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. file — a document
  7. lean — to bend
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. chest — a box
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. foot — a measure
  13. row — to paddle
  14. root — of a word
  15. current — happening now
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. chest — of your body
  18. current — of water
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. root — of a plant
  21. file — a line of people
  22. chest — of your body
  23. lean — thin
  24. foot — 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