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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. swing — in golf
  8. root — of a plant
  9. stock — goods
  10. root — of a word
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. season — in sport
  13. stock — shares
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — of the year
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. swing — to play on
  24. swing — music

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