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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  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 — a part of something
  2. rash — hasty
  3. suit — in cards
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. band — a music group
  6. key — in music
  7. pop — music
  8. pop — soda
  9. band — a ring
  10. suit — to fit
  11. root — the cause
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. root — of a word
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. suit — clothes
  19. root — of a plant
  20. key — for a lock
  21. pop — to visit
  22. key — the most important part
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  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