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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — of a plant
  5. drill — a practice
  6. drill — army training
  7. game — wild animals
  8. race — humankind
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. present — a gift
  12. game — a match
  13. race — the arms race
  14. drill — the tool
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. race — a contest
  18. present — there
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. present — the time now
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. root — the cause
  24. trunk — of a car

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