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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: tube · root · wax · key · arm · staff · chest · racket

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. key — in music
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. staff — a stick
  7. tube — the underground
  8. root — of a word
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — a container
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — the cause
  17. chest — of your body
  18. key — the most important part
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. chest — a box
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. staff — employees
  23. key — for a lock
  24. staff — employees

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