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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. root — of a word
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. cue — a hint
  5. can — a tin
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. chest — of your body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. can — a tin
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chest — a box
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. root — of a plant
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chip — to eat
  19. deal — to handle
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. root — the cause
  23. cue — for pool
  24. cue — a signal

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