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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. track — a song
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pit — a hole
  8. root — the cause
  9. track — to keep track
  10. current — electric
  11. track — a path
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. root — of a word
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. root — of a plant
  16. current — of water
  17. mark — a trace
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. mark — a grade
  22. current — happening now
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. pit — in a race

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