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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: staff · lash · root · chip · dip · wind · arm · racket

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. root — the cause
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. wind — moving air
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. root — of a plant
  9. staff — employees
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wind — moving air
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. dip — to sink
  14. chip — to eat
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — a stick
  19. chip — for betting
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. racket — for tennis

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