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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. game — a match
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. last — to go on
  5. root — of a word
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. game — wild animals
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. root — the cause
  11. land — a country
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. last — finally
  15. land — to come down
  16. land — ground
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. last — final
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. root — of a plant
  24. bear — the animal

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