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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. wind — moving air
  6. root — of a word
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. ball — a dance
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. ball — a great time
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. rash — a series
  16. wake — a trail
  17. rash — hasty
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. snap — to click
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. root — the cause
  23. wind — moving air
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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