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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. root — of a word
  3. staff — a stick
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. root — of a plant
  7. pit — in a race
  8. mark — a grade
  9. root — the cause
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. staff — employees
  12. track — a song
  13. track — a path
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. wax — to grow
  20. track — to keep track
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. staff — employees
  23. pit — a hole
  24. mark — a trace

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