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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. root — of a word
  3. spell — a short time
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bulb — for light
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. spell — magic
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. band — a music group
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bark — to shout
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. spell — letters
  19. bulb — for light
  20. root — the cause
  21. band — a ring
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. arm — part of the body

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