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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. root — of a word
  3. last — finally
  4. track — a song
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. last — final
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. root — the cause
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. last — to go on
  14. object — a thing
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. track — to keep track
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. bulb — for light
  20. track — a path
  21. band — a music group
  22. object — to protest
  23. object — an aim
  24. band — a ring

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