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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. foot — a measure
  4. can — a tin
  5. root — the cause
  6. land — to come down
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. hand — in cards
  9. can — to be able to
  10. file — a line of people
  11. land — a country
  12. file — a document
  13. root — of a word
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. spell — a short time
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. spell — magic
  18. can — a tin
  19. hand — help
  20. land — ground
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. spell — letters
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. file — a tool

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