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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: chest · band · object · pop · root · arm · season · safe

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. chest — a box
  3. chest — of your body
  4. pop — music
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. band — a ring
  9. season — of the year
  10. band — a music group
  11. object — an aim
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. season — in sport
  14. pop — soda
  15. root — of a plant
  16. pop — to visit
  17. object — a thing
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. chest — of your body
  22. object — to protest
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. root — of a word

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