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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. root — of a word
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. ground — the earth
  6. mate — to breed
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. root — of a plant
  10. root — the cause
  11. ground — crushed
  12. prune — to trim
  13. spring — of water
  14. ground — a position
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. rock — music
  19. spring — the season
  20. prune — to trim
  21. spring — a coil
  22. rock — a stone
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mate — a partner

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