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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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Word bank
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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: deal · calf · arm · root · roll · object · wax · ruler

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. root — of a plant
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. deal — to handle
  8. roll — a cake
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. root — of a word
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. object — an aim
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. wax — to grow
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. object — to protest
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. roll — a list
  23. root — the cause
  24. ruler — for measuring

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