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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. key — for a lock
  5. pop — to visit
  6. shower — rain
  7. last — final
  8. pop — soda
  9. root — the cause
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. last — to go on
  13. key — the most important part
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. last — finally
  16. lean — thin
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. key — in music
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. shower — to wash
  22. lean — to bend
  23. pop — music
  24. root — of a word

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