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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: key · root · ground · wax · capital · rash · lash · bat

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. ground — the earth
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. root — the cause
  6. root — of a word
  7. rash — hasty
  8. ground — a position
  9. capital — a city
  10. bat — the animal
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. root — of a plant
  13. key — for a lock
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. rash — a series
  21. key — in music
  22. key — the most important part
  23. ground — crushed
  24. capital — money

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