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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 116 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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. root — of a word
  3. root — the cause
  4. fine — all right
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. degree — an amount
  7. root — of a plant
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. saw — the tool
  11. degree — from a university
  12. degree — temperature
  13. fine — high quality
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. bulb — for light
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bulb — for light
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. pitch — completely

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