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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: straw · lash · root · calf · pop · mine · date · spring

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. spring — a coil
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. root — of a plant
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a word
  11. date — the fruit
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. pop — soda
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. spring — the season
  16. pop — to visit
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. spring — of water
  20. mine — for digging
  21. pop — music
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. calf — a young animal

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