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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: foot · hand · press · wake · root · cell · object · arm

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. cell — a phone
  4. hand — in cards
  5. object — to protest
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. cell — in biology
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. hand — help
  10. object — an aim
  11. object — a thing
  12. wake — a trail
  13. press — to push
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. press — newspapers
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. root — the cause
  20. foot — a measure
  21. root — of a plant
  22. press — a publisher
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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