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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 120 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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. snap — to click
  3. plane — a tool
  4. tube — the underground
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. net — in sport
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. tube — a container
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. root — of a word
  20. net — after costs
  21. chair — a leader
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. net — for catching
  24. root — the cause

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