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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. wind — moving air
  5. root — of a plant
  6. mark — a grade
  7. root — of a word
  8. firm — steady
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. spring — a coil
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. firm — a company
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. spring — the season
  15. stand — to bear
  16. wind — moving air
  17. tube — the underground
  18. firm — decided
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. spring — of water
  22. root — the cause
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. mark — a trace

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