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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: object · straw · bulb · pound · rest · root · foot · arm

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. object — to protest
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. rest — what's left
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. rest — what's left
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. rest — a break
  13. object — an aim
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. root — the cause
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. root — of a plant
  20. pound — a weight
  21. bulb — for light
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. object — a thing
  24. root — of a word

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