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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. field — for sport
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. field — farmland
  8. present — there
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. field — a subject
  12. can — a tin
  13. present — a gift
  14. present — the time now
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. wake — a trail
  22. mine — for digging
  23. root — of a word
  24. root — the cause

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