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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 · face · arm · stick · field · bore · bass · temple

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. field — farmland
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. root — the cause
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. field — for sport
  9. root — of a word
  10. root — of a plant
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bass — the fish
  13. field — a subject
  14. bass — low music
  15. face — to point toward
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. face — to confront
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. face — part of the head
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bore — to drill

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