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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 116 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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. face — to point toward
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. cap — a lid
  5. kick — in football
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. prune — to trim
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. root — of a word
  10. face — part of the head
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. root — of a plant
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. cap — a hat
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. cap — of ice
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rush — hurry
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. root — the cause
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. face — to confront

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