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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: hide · tube · fork · foot · mug · present · root · lash

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. mug — a face
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. root — of a plant
  8. fork — in a road
  9. root — of a word
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. present — there
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. present — a gift
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — a container
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. root — the cause
  20. mug — a cup
  21. tube — the underground
  22. present — the time now
  23. mug — to rob
  24. foot — a measure

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