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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. degree — an amount
  4. prune — to trim
  5. ground — a position
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. root — of a plant
  8. band — a music group
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. band — a ring
  11. degree — from a university
  12. root — of a word
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. ground — the earth
  15. wind — moving air
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. ground — crushed
  22. degree — temperature
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. wind — moving air

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