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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: deal · march · roll · arm · mate · root · lean · lash

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  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. lean — thin
  2. root — of a word
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. deal — to handle
  5. root — the cause
  6. march — the month
  7. roll — a cake
  8. root — of a plant
  9. mate — a partner
  10. roll — a list
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — to breed
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. march — music
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. march — the month
  23. lean — to bend
  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