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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: fall · bore · fork · coach · last · key · root · arm

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. bore — to tire
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. root — the cause
  6. root — of a plant
  7. last — to go on
  8. fall — the season
  9. last — final
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. key — the most important part
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. key — for a lock
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. last — finally
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. key — in music
  19. fork — in a road
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bore — to drill

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