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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — in sport
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a plant
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. fall — to drop
  10. root — of a word
  11. fall — the season
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. rock — a stone
  14. dip — to sink
  15. fall — to drop
  16. cold — an illness
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. rock — music
  19. cold — not warm
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. stem — to come from

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