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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  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. lash — an eyelash
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. present — there
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. swing — in golf
  6. sharp — clever
  7. bulb — for light
  8. present — a gift
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. band — a ring
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. swing — to play on
  13. root — of a plant
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. swing — music
  17. bulb — for light
  18. band — a music group
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. root — of a word
  22. present — the time now
  23. root — the cause
  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