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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. root — of a plant
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. kid — to tease
  5. degree — temperature
  6. charge — electricity
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. root — of a word
  11. perch — the fish
  12. bank — for money
  13. charge — a price
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. charge — in control
  16. kid — child
  17. root — the cause
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. degree — from a university
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. degree — an amount
  23. spring — of water
  24. spring — the season

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