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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 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. root — of a plant
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. bank — for money
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. chair — a leader
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. sharp — clever
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bank — for money
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. root — the cause
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bank — of a river
  22. ball — a great time
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. chair — to sit on

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