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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. mine — for digging
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. prune — to trim
  6. roll — a list
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. prune — to trim
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. root — of a plant
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. root — of a word
  16. date — the fruit
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. root — the cause
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. roll — a cake
  24. racket — for tennis

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