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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. root — of a word
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. bound — tied together
  6. mark — a trace
  7. bound — obliged
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. rest — what's left
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. lean — thin
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. bound — certain
  20. lean — to bend
  21. root — the cause
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. mark — a grade

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