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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. root — the cause
  3. rest — what's left
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. root — of a plant
  7. stand — to bear
  8. root — of a word
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. plane — a tool
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. rest — a break
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. arm — 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