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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. root — the cause
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. root — of a word
  7. object — an aim
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. face — to confront
  10. tear — from crying
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. mark — a grade
  13. tear — to rip
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. pit — a hole
  16. root — of a plant
  17. object — to protest
  18. face — part of the head
  19. mark — a trace
  20. face — to point toward
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. pit — in a race
  23. kick — in football
  24. object — a thing

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