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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: root · wind · club · can · leaves · lash · track · pitcher

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — moving air
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. can — a tin
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. track — a path
  11. club — for golf
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. root — the cause
  14. club — for dancing
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. club — a group
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. root — of a word
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. can — to be able to
  21. track — a song
  22. can — a tin
  23. track — to keep track
  24. root — of a plant

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