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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. foot — a measure
  3. dip — to sink
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. rock — music
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. root — of a word
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. shower — to wash
  13. root — of a plant
  14. bark — to shout
  15. rock — a stone
  16. shower — rain
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. root — the cause
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. dip — a sauce

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