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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. root — of a word
  4. field — farmland
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. field — for sport
  9. root — the cause
  10. lean — thin
  11. rule — a law
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. tube — a container
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. tube — the underground
  18. root — of a plant
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. dip — to sink
  21. lean — to bend
  22. snap — to click
  23. rule — government
  24. lash — an eyelash

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