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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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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: sharp · lie · arm · foot · root · rest · court · wind

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. root — of a plant
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. root — of a word
  7. foot — a measure
  8. rest — a break
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. rest — what's left
  13. court — of a king
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rest — what's left
  16. wind — moving air
  17. court — of law
  18. court — for sport
  19. sharp — clever
  20. root — the cause
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. wind — moving air
  24. lie — to recline

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