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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. dip — to sink
  4. root — of a plant
  5. content — the amount
  6. degree — from a university
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — of a river
  12. content — happy
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. root — of a word
  16. degree — temperature
  17. bank — for money
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. root — the cause
  24. degree — an amount

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