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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. wound — an injury
  5. cap — a lid
  6. ball — a dance
  7. face — to point toward
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. wound — an injury
  10. root — of a plant
  11. face — to confront
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. root — the cause
  14. key — for a lock
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. face — part of the head
  17. key — in music
  18. cap — of ice
  19. root — of a word
  20. cap — a hat
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. ball — a great time
  23. key — the most important part
  24. ball — a round shape

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