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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 120 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: rash · arm · staff · stick · wax · ground · board · root

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. staff — employees
  3. rash — hasty
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — the earth
  6. root — of a word
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. wax — to grow
  9. ground — a position
  10. board — a committee
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. rash — a series
  13. board — to get on
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. staff — employees
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. root — the cause
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. staff — a stick
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. root — of a plant

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