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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. game — a match
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. root — of a word
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. land — a country
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. root — of a plant
  14. land — ground
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. land — to come down
  20. scale — size or range
  21. root — the cause
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. scale — in music
  24. fan — a supporter

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