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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. track — a path
  3. stock — goods
  4. kick — in football
  5. track — to keep track
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. cue — a signal
  8. root — of a word
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cue — for pool
  16. tube — the underground
  17. root — the cause
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. root — of a plant
  22. stock — shares
  23. track — a song
  24. tube — a container

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