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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 works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. root — the cause
  5. hand — help
  6. lean — thin
  7. root — of a plant
  8. wind — moving air
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. wind — moving air
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. root — of a word
  18. firm — decided
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. firm — steady
  22. lean — to bend
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. hand — in cards

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