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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. root — of a word
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. tube — a container
  7. season — in sport
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — a position
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. tube — the underground
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. root — of a plant
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. dip — to sink
  20. season — of the year
  21. root — the cause
  22. ground — the earth
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bark — to shout

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