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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. staff — a stick
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. row — to paddle
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. tear — from crying
  7. staff — employees
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. season — in sport
  10. staff — employees
  11. tear — from crying
  12. root — of a plant
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. row — a line
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. tear — to rip
  20. season — of the year
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. root — of a word
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. nail — on a finger

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