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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.

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: arm · staff · mug · coach · plane · root · date · row

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. mug — a face
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — the fruit
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. staff — a stick
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mug — a cup
  9. staff — employees
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. row — to paddle
  12. root — of a word
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. root — of a plant
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. row — a line
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. plane — a tool
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. root — the cause

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