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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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468
Word bank
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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 is an ace ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. root — of a word
  5. fine — all right
  6. club — for golf
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. club — a group
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. root — of a plant
  13. object — to protest
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. object — an aim
  16. club — for dancing
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. root — the cause
  20. object — a thing
  21. mine — for digging
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. fine — high quality
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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