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

Word bank: root · arm · roll · stand · squash · pass · dip · bay

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. pass — a permit
  12. dip — to sink
  13. root — of a plant
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. squash — to crush
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. root — the cause
  21. squash — the sport
  22. roll — a cake
  23. roll — a list
  24. 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