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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: race · root · arm · kick · wax · trunk · nail · kid

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. race — the arms race
  6. root — of a word
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. kid — to tease
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. kid — child
  15. race — a contest
  16. kick — in football
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. wax — to grow
  22. race — humankind
  23. root — the cause
  24. arm — part of the body

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