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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 120 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 · present · degree · root · mate · wake · bulb · staff

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. root — the cause
  3. staff — employees
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. staff — a stick
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a friend
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. present — the time now
  10. root — of a word
  11. staff — employees
  12. present — a gift
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mate — a partner
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bulb — for light
  19. degree — from a university
  20. root — of a plant
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. degree — temperature
  23. degree — an amount
  24. present — there

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