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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 · season · drill · foot · straw · spell · lash · sharp

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. drill — the tool
  5. spell — letters
  6. foot — a measure
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. drill — a practice
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. root — of a plant
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. sharp — clever
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. spell — magic
  20. season — in sport
  21. drill — army training
  22. season — of the year
  23. spell — a short time
  24. root — of a word

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