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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. row — to paddle
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. root — of a word
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. toast — bread
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. drill — the tool
  12. clip — for paper
  13. clip — a video
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. squash — the sport
  16. root — of a plant
  17. clip — to cut
  18. drill — a practice
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. squash — to crush
  23. drill — army training
  24. root — the cause

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