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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 · mug · rule · root · fan · calf · toast · cold

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. root — of a plant
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. mug — a face
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. root — of a word
  9. cold — an illness
  10. mug — to rob
  11. toast — bread
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. rule — government
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. cold — not warm
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. root — the cause
  24. rule — a law

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