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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. current — of water
  5. race — humankind
  6. root — of a plant
  7. chip — to eat
  8. race — the arms race
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — music
  12. current — electric
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. race — a contest
  15. chip — for betting
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. root — the cause
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. root — of a word
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. current — happening now
  24. bark — to shout

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