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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. root — of a plant
  3. suit — clothes
  4. cap — a hat
  5. suit — in cards
  6. chest — of your body
  7. spring — of water
  8. chest — of your body
  9. spring — the season
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. cap — a lid
  12. rash — a series
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. spring — a coil
  15. root — the cause
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cap — of ice
  19. suit — to fit
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. rash — hasty
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. root — of a word
  24. chest — a box

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