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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: bank · can · root · rock · tear · arm · kid · chip

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. chip — for betting
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bank — for money
  6. rock — a stone
  7. can — to be able to
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. tear — from crying
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. tear — to rip
  13. rock — music
  14. chip — to eat
  15. kid — child
  16. root — of a plant
  17. bank — of a river
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. kid — to tease
  20. tear — from crying
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bank — for money
  23. root — the cause
  24. rock — to move gently

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