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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: fall · tube · root · file · toast · lash · ball · foot

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. fall — to drop
  5. root — of a plant
  6. file — a tool
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. ball — a great time
  9. fall — to drop
  10. tube — a container
  11. root — the cause
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. toast — bread
  15. tube — the underground
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. fall — the season
  18. foot — a measure
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. root — of a word
  21. file — a line of people
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. file — a document
  24. foot — the bottom

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