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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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. trunk — of a tree
  4. mate — a partner
  5. rest — what's left
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. rest — a break
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. root — of a word
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. root — the cause
  14. rest — what's left
  15. mate — to breed
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. pop — music
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. pop — to visit
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. pop — soda
  24. mate — a friend

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