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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: bear · root · date · band · arm · lie · land · mark

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bear — the animal
  4. band — a music group
  5. mark — a trace
  6. date — the fruit
  7. band — a ring
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. lie — to recline
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. land — to come down
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. root — of a word
  17. bear — the animal
  18. land — a country
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. land — ground
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. root — the cause
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. lie — an untruth

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