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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. roll — a list
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. march — the month
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. roll — a cake
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. court — of a king
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — a stone
  13. root — the cause
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. root — of a plant
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of law
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. march — the month
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. root — of a word
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. march — music

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