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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 120 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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. root — the cause
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. last — to go on
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. last — final
  10. bulb — for light
  11. kick — in football
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. root — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. root — of a word
  20. saw — the tool
  21. last — finally
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. saw — the tool
  24. kick — a thrill

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