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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. root — the cause
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — to sink
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. sharp — clever
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. can — a tin
  14. root — of a word
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. can — a tin
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. plane — a tool
  22. root — of a plant
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. patient — a sick person

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