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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: mouse · root · race · arm · branch · file · pop · wave

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. root — the cause
  3. root — of a plant
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — to visit
  6. file — a document
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. file — a tool
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. race — humankind
  11. race — a contest
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. pop — music
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. branch — a division
  19. race — the arms race
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. file — a line of people
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. root — of a word
  24. branch — of a tree

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