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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. roll — a cake
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. roll — a list
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. net — after costs
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. plane — a tool
  9. net — for catching
  10. root — of a plant
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. prune — to trim
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. net — in sport
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. wind — moving air
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. wind — moving air
  19. root — the cause
  20. root — of a word
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. prune — to trim
  24. wind — to turn a key

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