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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. root — the cause
  3. chip — for betting
  4. track — a path
  5. mate — a partner
  6. bass — the fish
  7. mate — to breed
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. mate — a friend
  12. lean — thin
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. root — of a word
  15. track — a song
  16. root — of a plant
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. bass — low music
  20. track — to keep track
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. lean — to bend
  23. bass — the instrument
  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