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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. firm — a company
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. hand — in cards
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. hand — help
  9. firm — steady
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. root — of a word
  13. firm — decided
  14. root — the cause
  15. rash — a series
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. root — of a plant
  18. bay — to keep at bay

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