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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. track — to keep track
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. roll — a cake
  6. root — of a word
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. root — the cause
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. root — of a plant
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. track — a path
  18. roll — a list
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. fine — all right
  21. track — a song
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. fine — high quality
  24. pitcher — a jug

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