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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: hide · arm · staff · bay · roll · rule · root · ground

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. rule — a law
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. roll — a list
  10. staff — employees
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. ground — crushed
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. rule — government
  16. staff — employees
  17. ground — a position
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. root — of a word
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. roll — a cake
  22. ground — the earth
  23. staff — a stick
  24. root — of a plant

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