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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.

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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chair — a leader
  4. root — the cause
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. present — the time now
  7. root — of a plant
  8. prune — to trim
  9. root — of a word
  10. present — a gift
  11. deal — to handle
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. present — there
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. lash — an eyelash

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