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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. root — of a word
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. root — of a plant
  5. rest — what's left
  6. press — a publisher
  7. rest — what's left
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. squash — to crush
  10. root — the cause
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. rest — a break
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. sharp — clever
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — to push
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bark — to shout
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. sharp — with an edge

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