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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. key — the most important part
  4. roll — a cake
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — of a word
  7. key — in music
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. dip — to sink
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. file — a line of people
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. file — a document
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. roll — a list
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. key — for a lock
  23. file — a tool
  24. root — the cause

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