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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. drill — the tool
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. field — a subject
  6. field — for sport
  7. roll — a list
  8. root — the cause
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. saw — the tool
  11. root — of a word
  12. field — farmland
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. root — of a plant
  16. saw — the tool
  17. roll — a cake
  18. drill — army training
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. bark — to shout
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. drill — a practice
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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