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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. saw — the tool
  3. root — of a plant
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. spell — letters
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — to rob
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. branch — a division
  14. spell — a short time
  15. chip — for betting
  16. saw — the tool
  17. root — the cause
  18. mug — a cup
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. spell — magic
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. root — of a word

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