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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 · band · arm · roll · sharp · bore · mouse · bulb

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. bulb — for light
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. root — of a word
  7. root — the cause
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bulb — for light
  11. sharp — clever
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. root — of a plant
  15. band — a music group
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. bore — to drill
  19. roll — a list
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. roll — a cake
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. band — a ring

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