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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · pitcher · bore · file · straw · stem · root · mug

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. mug — a face
  3. bore — to tire
  4. root — of a plant
  5. file — a line of people
  6. stem — to come from
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. root — the cause
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a cup
  12. file — a tool
  13. root — of a word
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. file — a document
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. arm — part of the body

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