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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: content · arm · bay · straw · tube · staff · root · wave

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. staff — employees
  5. root — the cause
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. tube — the underground
  9. content — happy
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. root — of a plant
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. staff — employees
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. tube — a container
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. staff — a stick
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. content — the amount
  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