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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. date — the fruit
  3. root — the cause
  4. root — of a plant
  5. spell — a short time
  6. fall — to drop
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. chair — a leader
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. snap — to click
  13. spell — magic
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. root — of a word
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. fall — to drop
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. spell — letters
  23. fall — the season
  24. lash — to lash out

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