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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: sharp · root · stem · content · kick · tear · arm · pitcher

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. root — the cause
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — to rip
  9. root — of a plant
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. content — happy
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. kick — in football
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. sharp — clever
  18. tear — from crying
  19. content — the amount
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. sharp — exactly
  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