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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: mug · root · spring · bark · kid · arm · key · ruler

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. key — for a lock
  9. mug — to rob
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. mug — a cup
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. root — the cause
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. spring — a coil
  16. key — the most important part
  17. spring — of water
  18. root — of a word
  19. spring — the season
  20. key — in music
  21. root — of a plant
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. mug — a face
  24. kid — to tease

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