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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 · root · row · bay · season · ruler · cabinet · mine

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. season — in sport
  4. root — of a plant
  5. root — of a word
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. season — of the year
  11. row — a line
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. mine — for digging
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. row — to paddle
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. root — the cause
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. mine — an explosive

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