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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. chair — a leader
  3. root — of a word
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. firm — decided
  10. root — the cause
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. root — of a plant
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. firm — steady
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. firm — a company
  21. lean — thin
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — a grade
  24. lash — to lash out

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