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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. mate — a friend
  4. rest — what's left
  5. root — the cause
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. game — a match
  8. rest — what's left
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. root — of a plant
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. root — of a word
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. game — wild animals
  18. rest — a break
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. mate — a partner
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. mate — to breed

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