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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: root · snap · court · file · rush · mark · arm · spring

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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. court — of law
  4. file — a line of people
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. mark — a trace
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. spring — of water
  9. snap — to click
  10. file — a document
  11. spring — a coil
  12. root — of a plant
  13. spring — the season
  14. root — of a word
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. court — for sport
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. file — a tool
  23. court — of a king
  24. mark — a grade

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