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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: snap · cue · tear · fan · root · foot · arm · pitcher

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. root — the cause
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. foot — a measure
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. cue — a signal
  8. snap — to click
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — for pool
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. tear — from crying
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. root — of a plant
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. root — of a word
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — to rip

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