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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. root — of a plant
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. root — the cause
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. march — music
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. pass — a permit
  12. march — the month
  13. root — of a word
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. march — the month
  16. tube — a container
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — to spend time

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