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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. root — the cause
  11. spring — of water
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. spring — a coil
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. root — of a word
  18. saw — the tool
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. spring — the season
  21. saw — the tool
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. fan — a supporter

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