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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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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: root · last · pitch · wake · arm · temple · firm · plane

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. wake — a trail
  4. root — of a plant
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. firm — a company
  8. root — the cause
  9. pitch — completely
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. last — to go on
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. last — final
  18. last — finally
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. plane — a tool
  21. root — of a word
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. firm — decided
  24. plane — an aircraft

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