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

Word bank: bat · lash · bear · root · snap · hide · lie · nail

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — of a word
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bear — the animal
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. snap — to click
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bat — the animal
  21. lie — to recline
  22. root — the cause
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. lash — to lash out

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