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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. wound — an injury
  4. root — of a word
  5. root — of a plant
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. key — the most important part
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. root — the cause
  11. wound — an injury
  12. key — for a lock
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. sharp — clever
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. spell — letters
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lean — thin
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — magic
  22. lean — to bend
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. key — in 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