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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. root — of a word
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. charge — a price
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — in control
  10. tear — to rip
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. pop — to visit
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. pop — music
  15. root — of a plant
  16. saw — the tool
  17. tear — from crying
  18. pop — soda
  19. game — wild animals
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. root — the cause
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. game — a match
  24. tear — from crying

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