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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 116 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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. root — the cause
  3. fall — to drop
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. staff — a stick
  6. rock — music
  7. root — of a word
  8. staff — employees
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. spring — the season
  12. spring — of water
  13. fall — the season
  14. root — of a plant
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. spring — a coil
  17. staff — employees
  18. fall — to drop
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bat — the animal
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. rock — a stone

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