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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: root · content · lash · sharp · rash · present · arm · press

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. present — a gift
  3. root — of a plant
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. content — the amount
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — hasty
  10. sharp — clever
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. present — the time now
  17. press — a publisher
  18. root — of a word
  19. press — to push
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. present — there
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. root — the cause
  24. press — newspapers

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