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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: kick · mark · saw · date · fall · perch · arm · root

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. mark — a trace
  7. date — the fruit
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. fall — the season
  11. kick — in football
  12. saw — the tool
  13. root — of a word
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. saw — the tool
  16. perch — the fish
  17. mark — a grade
  18. fall — to drop
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. root — the cause
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. fall — to drop

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