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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. net — after costs
  4. root — of a word
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. suit — clothes
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. spring — a coil
  10. suit — to fit
  11. suit — in cards
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. root — the cause
  16. scale — in music
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — for catching
  19. scale — size or range
  20. spring — the season
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. spring — of water
  23. root — of a plant
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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