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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. tube — the underground
  3. root — the cause
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hand — in cards
  10. root — of a word
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hand — help
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. perch — the fish
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. mine — for digging
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. root — of a plant
  22. tube — a container
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. perch — for a bird

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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