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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 · roll · wax · board · tear · perch · straw · arm

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. tear — from crying
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. perch — the fish
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. roll — a list
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. roll — a cake
  10. tear — to rip
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. board — to get on
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a plant
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. board — a committee
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. root — of a word
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. wax — to grow
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. tear — from crying

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