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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. staff — employees
  3. firm — decided
  4. firm — steady
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. root — of a word
  7. staff — employees
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. content — happy
  11. firm — a company
  12. clip — to cut
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. content — the amount
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. clip — for paper
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. staff — a stick
  20. root — the cause
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. root — of a plant
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. clip — a video

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