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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. root — of a plant
  3. chest — a box
  4. root — of a word
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. root — the cause
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bulb — for light
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bulb — for light
  16. chest — of your body
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. chest — of your body
  20. mark — a trace
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. lie — to recline

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