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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: club · root · roll · jam · tear · stick · lash · deal

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. tear — to rip
  4. club — for dancing
  5. club — for golf
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. root — of a plant
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. club — a group
  14. tear — from crying
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. roll — a cake
  17. tear — from crying
  18. roll — a list
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — the cause
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. jam — in traffic

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