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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. deal — to handle
  8. saw — the tool
  9. root — the cause
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. track — to keep track
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. track — a song
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. pound — a weight
  20. track — a path
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. saw — the tool
  24. root — of a plant

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