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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.

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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: lash · foot · root · lean · kid · degree · row · arm

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. degree — temperature
  4. kid — child
  5. foot — a measure
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. row — to paddle
  8. lean — to bend
  9. root — the cause
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. root — of a plant
  13. kid — to tease
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. degree — from a university
  19. lean — thin
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. degree — an amount
  23. root — of a word
  24. row — a line

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