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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.

Make a worksheet

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: shower · arm · craft · root · wound · ball · jam · leaves

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. root — the cause
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a great time
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. shower — to wash
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. shower — rain
  14. craft — a skill
  15. root — of a plant
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. wound — an injury
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. craft — boats
  22. wound — an injury
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. root — of a word

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