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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. root — of a plant
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. degree — from a university
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. degree — an amount
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. prune — to trim
  14. row — to paddle
  15. degree — temperature
  16. prune — to trim
  17. root — of a word
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. dip — to sink
  23. root — the cause
  24. perch — the fish

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