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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. tube — the underground
  3. root — of a plant
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. chip — to eat
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. date — the fruit
  11. fine — high quality
  12. object — a thing
  13. chip — for betting
  14. spring — a coil
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. root — of a word
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. spring — the season
  19. object — an aim
  20. tube — a container
  21. spring — of water
  22. root — the cause
  23. fine — all right
  24. object — to protest

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