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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  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. root — of a plant
  2. root — the cause
  3. spring — a coil
  4. spring — the season
  5. field — for sport
  6. mate — a partner
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. field — a subject
  10. root — of a word
  11. track — a song
  12. mate — to breed
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. track — a path
  15. row — a line
  16. spring — of water
  17. stand — to bear
  18. field — farmland
  19. row — to paddle
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. track — to keep track
  22. mate — a friend
  23. stand — on your feet
  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