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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. spring — of water
  6. root — of a plant
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. rush — hurry
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. lie — to recline
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. root — of a word
  17. root — the cause
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. spring — a coil
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. spring — the season
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. branch — a division
  24. jam — in traffic

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