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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: root · wake · object · arm · kid · stick · leaves · fan

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. object — an aim
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. root — the cause
  10. wake — a trail
  11. object — to protest
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. root — of a word
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. object — a thing
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. kid — child
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. kid — to tease
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. root — of a plant

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