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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. root — the cause
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. root — of a plant
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. board — to get on
  10. mate — to breed
  11. root — of a word
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. content — happy
  15. tear — from crying
  16. mate — a partner
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. mate — a friend
  19. date — the fruit
  20. tear — to rip
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. tear — from crying
  23. content — the amount
  24. date — on the calendar

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