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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. spring — the season
  3. spring — of water
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. face — part of the head
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. root — of a word
  8. spring — a coil
  9. face — to point toward
  10. march — the month
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. shower — to wash
  13. root — of a plant
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. march — music
  18. shower — rain
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. root — the cause
  22. face — to confront
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. march — the month

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