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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: staff · arm · root · lean · fan · shower · rest · can

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. staff — a stick
  3. root — of a plant
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. shower — to wash
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. staff — employees
  11. can — a tin
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. can — to be able to
  15. rest — what's left
  16. lean — thin
  17. shower — rain
  18. lean — to bend
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. root — of a word
  21. can — a tin
  22. staff — employees
  23. rest — a break
  24. root — the cause

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