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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: straw · plane · arm · rock · rest · cap · perch · root

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. plane — a tool
  3. rest — what's left
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. root — of a plant
  8. perch — the fish
  9. rock — a stone
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. cap — a lid
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. rest — what's left
  16. root — of a word
  17. cap — of ice
  18. root — the cause
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. cap — a hat
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. rock — music
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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