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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: arm · root · lie · stem · hand · foot · bulb · degree

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. root — of a word
  3. foot — a measure
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. degree — temperature
  8. degree — from a university
  9. root — the cause
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. degree — an amount
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. stem — to come from
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — help
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. lie — to recline
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. root — of a plant
  24. lie — an untruth

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