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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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Word bank
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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — for paper
  5. root — of a word
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. last — to go on
  9. cue — for pool
  10. spell — letters
  11. season — in sport
  12. last — finally
  13. season — of the year
  14. clip — a video
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. rock — music
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. root — of a plant
  19. spell — a short time
  20. rock — a stone
  21. spell — magic
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — a signal
  24. last — final

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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