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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. root — of a plant
  6. prune — to trim
  7. foot — a measure
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. root — of a word
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. prune — to trim
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. root — the cause
  24. foot — the bottom

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