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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: bark · patient · root · foot · tube · arm · rule · straw

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. rule — government
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. root — of a word
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. foot — a measure
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. root — of a plant
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. tube — the underground
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. tube — a container
  20. bark — to shout
  21. rule — a law
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. root — the cause
  24. arm — a part of something

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