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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: chest · root · deal · rock · fan · rash · bay · arm

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. root — of a word
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. rock — music
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. chest — of your body
  12. rash — a series
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. root — of a plant
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. rock — a stone
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. chest — of your body
  21. root — the cause
  22. chest — a box
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rash — on the skin

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