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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: roll · last · arm · tear · foot · dip · wake · lean

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  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 — a part of something
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. foot — a measure
  4. last — finally
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. dip — to sink
  8. tear — to rip
  9. last — to go on
  10. lean — to bend
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. roll — a list
  14. last — final
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — thin
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. tear — from crying
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. wake — a trail
  23. roll — a cake
  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