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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: cap · saw · root · arm · bear · rule · hand · tear

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. hand — in cards
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. root — of a plant
  6. bear — the animal
  7. saw — the tool
  8. tear — to rip
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. tear — from crying
  11. cap — of ice
  12. hand — help
  13. root — of a word
  14. bear — the animal
  15. rule — government
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. tear — from crying
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. saw — the tool
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cap — a lid
  23. rule — a law
  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