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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: arm · net · rock · root · wake · stick · drill · object

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. object — to protest
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. net — for catching
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. drill — army training
  8. rock — a stone
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. root — of a word
  12. drill — a practice
  13. net — in sport
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — an aim
  16. root — the cause
  17. drill — the tool
  18. root — of a plant
  19. wake — a trail
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. rock — music
  22. net — after costs
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. rock — to move gently

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