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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: bowl · lie · bank · race · arm · pound · lean · root

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. race — humankind
  3. race — a contest
  4. root — of a plant
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lean — to bend
  8. root — of a word
  9. race — the arms race
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. bank — for money
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. pound — a weight
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. root — the cause
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. lean — thin
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bank — for money
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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