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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. club — for golf
  4. root — of a word
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. root — of a plant
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. chest — of your body
  10. squash — the sport
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. branch — a division
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. squash — to crush
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. present — the time now
  18. chest — of your body
  19. present — there
  20. root — the cause
  21. present — a gift
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. club — a group
  24. club — for dancing

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