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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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Word bank
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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: tear · spell · calf · key · root · cabinet · snap · lash

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — magic
  3. key — for a lock
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. root — of a word
  6. tear — from crying
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. root — the cause
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. snap — to click
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. root — of a plant
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. spell — letters
  18. tear — to rip
  19. key — the most important part
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. tear — from crying
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. key — in music

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