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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 120 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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. rash — hasty
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. bear — the animal
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. row — to paddle
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. root — the cause
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bound — certain
  13. root — of a plant
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bound — tied together
  16. row — a line
  17. bound — obliged
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rash — a series
  20. rock — music
  21. root — of a word
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rock — a stone

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