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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: wake · root · stick · file · arm · staff · mouse · dip

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. root — the cause
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. staff — employees
  8. root — of a plant
  9. staff — a stick
  10. file — a document
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. file — a tool
  14. wake — a trail
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. file — a line of people
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. dip — to sink
  19. staff — employees
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. root — of a word
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. arm — part of the body

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