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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. root — of a plant
  4. bass — the fish
  5. root — of a word
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bark — to shout
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. rest — what's left
  12. mate — a friend
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. fall — to drop
  15. ball — a dance
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bass — low music
  18. rest — a break
  19. root — the cause
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a partner
  22. fall — to drop
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. ball — a round shape

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