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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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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 · rock · club · tear · last · root · court · object

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. last — to go on
  4. root — the cause
  5. tear — to rip
  6. object — a thing
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. court — for sport
  9. last — finally
  10. rock — music
  11. root — of a word
  12. last — final
  13. court — of a king
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. club — for golf
  16. club — a group
  17. court — of law
  18. club — for dancing
  19. root — of a plant
  20. object — to protest
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. tear — from crying
  23. object — an aim
  24. tear — from crying

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