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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: ground · arm · tube · stand · board · bore · root · wound

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. wound — an injury
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. root — the cause
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. board — to get on
  8. stand — to bear
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ground — the earth
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. root — of a plant
  16. bore — to tire
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bore — to drill
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. wound — an injury
  22. tube — the underground
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. ground — a position

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