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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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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: leaves · wave · arm · hand · pit · court · root · bear

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. court — of law
  3. bear — the animal
  4. root — the cause
  5. court — of a king
  6. hand — help
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. pit — a hole
  11. hand — in cards
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. root — of a word
  16. root — of a plant
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. bear — the animal
  22. pit — in a race
  23. court — for sport
  24. leaves — lets stay

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