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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 120 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. pit — in a race
  4. root — the cause
  5. land — ground
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. squash — the sport
  8. track — a path
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. track — a song
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. land — to come down
  15. land — a country
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. band — a music group
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. squash — to crush
  20. track — to keep track
  21. root — of a word
  22. band — a ring
  23. root — of a plant
  24. lash — to lash out

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