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

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. wake — a trail
  5. net — in sport
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. squash — the sport
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. root — of a word
  13. net — for catching
  14. ball — a dance
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. squash — to crush
  18. ball — a great time
  19. kid — child
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. kid — to tease
  22. root — the cause
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. net — after costs

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