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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: saw · rock · net · arm · root · bay · trunk · band

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. saw — the tool
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — music
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. net — in sport
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. root — of a plant
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — for catching
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a ring
  24. root — the cause

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