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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: lash · net · last · track · leaves · root · firm · stand

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. track — to keep track
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. track — a song
  5. firm — steady
  6. net — for catching
  7. last — to go on
  8. stand — to bear
  9. last — finally
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. root — of a plant
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. track — a path
  16. root — of a word
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. net — in sport
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. net — after costs
  22. last — final
  23. firm — decided
  24. root — the cause

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