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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. rest — a break
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. rest — what's left
  5. root — of a plant
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. spring — the season
  10. mug — a cup
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. rest — what's left
  13. spring — a coil
  14. root — the cause
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. mug — to rob
  17. spring — of water
  18. mug — a face
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. lash — an eyelash

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