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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 120 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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. root — of a plant
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. root — of a word
  6. bear — the animal
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lie — to recline
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. chair — a leader
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — the season
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. root — the cause
  24. lie — an untruth

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