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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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. lean — to bend
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. hand — in cards
  6. mine — for digging
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. root — of a plant
  13. root — of a word
  14. stand — to bear
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. root — the cause
  22. hand — help
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. lean — thin

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