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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 120 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cap · arm · lie · shower · root · leaves

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. cap — of ice
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. root — the cause
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. root — of a plant
  12. cap — a lid
  13. shower — to wash
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. shower — rain
  16. cap — a hat
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. root — of a word

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