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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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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: jam · root · cue · mine · arm · face · bear · land

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. land — ground
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. bear — the animal
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. root — of a plant
  8. face — to point toward
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cue — for pool
  11. mine — for digging
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — part of the head
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. cue — a signal
  16. root — the cause
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — a country
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. cue — a hint
  22. root — of a word
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. arm — a part of something

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