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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: root · bank · club · arm · lash · ball · staff · stick

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. staff — employees
  3. ball — a great time
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. root — of a word
  7. club — for dancing
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a dance
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — a stick
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bank — for money
  15. club — a group
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. bank — of a river
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. root — the cause
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. club — for golf
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. root — of a plant
  24. bank — for money

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