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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. net — for catching
  3. root — the cause
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. sharp — clever
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. band — a ring
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. band — a music group
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. root — of a word
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. net — after costs
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. net — in sport
  20. dip — to sink
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. root — of a plant
  24. lash — an eyelash

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