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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. bear — the animal
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. row — to paddle
  6. capital — money
  7. root — of a word
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. ground — the earth
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. ground — a position
  18. capital — a city
  19. row — a line
  20. bear — the animal
  21. ground — crushed
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. root — the cause
  24. safe — a strongbox

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