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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. root — of a plant
  3. clip — to cut
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. root — the cause
  6. board — to get on
  7. deal — to handle
  8. perch — the fish
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. clip — a video
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. root — of a word
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. clip — for paper
  21. squash — the sport
  22. board — a committee
  23. plane — a tool
  24. squash — to crush

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