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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: track · row · sharp · root · lie · rest · arm · leaves

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. rest — a break
  4. sharp — clever
  5. root — of a word
  6. track — a path
  7. row — a line
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. root — the cause
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. track — a song
  12. row — to paddle
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. root — of a plant
  19. track — to keep track
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. lie — to recline
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. row — a quarrel

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