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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 · temple · kid · bear · stick · row · root · rest

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. row — a line
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. kid — to tease
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. row — to paddle
  15. root — the cause
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. kid — child
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rest — what's left
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. rest — what's left
  22. root — of a plant
  23. rest — a break
  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