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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. season — in sport
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — of a word
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. root — the cause
  7. prune — to trim
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. season — of the year
  11. spring — of water
  12. spring — the season
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — a line
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. chair — a leader
  19. row — to paddle
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. spring — a coil
  24. stand — to bear

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