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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 · firm · deal · rush · row · kid · arm · hide

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. kid — child
  4. kid — to tease
  5. firm — a company
  6. row — to paddle
  7. rush — hurry
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. root — of a plant
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. root — of a word
  15. firm — steady
  16. root — the cause
  17. deal — to handle
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. firm — decided
  24. row — a line

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