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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: lash · kid · chair · spring · tube · jam · root · arm

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. tube — a container
  9. spring — of water
  10. root — of a word
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. tube — the underground
  13. spring — the season
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. chair — a leader
  17. root — of a plant
  18. spring — a coil
  19. kid — to tease
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. kid — child
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  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