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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: squash · row · mark · lash · drill · spell · bound · root

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — a trace
  4. root — the cause
  5. row — to paddle
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — to crush
  8. spell — magic
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. spell — a short time
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. drill — the tool
  13. root — of a word
  14. squash — the sport
  15. drill — army training
  16. drill — a practice
  17. spell — letters
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. bound — obliged
  21. row — a line
  22. bound — certain
  23. root — of a plant
  24. bound — tied together

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