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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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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 · hide · swing · temple · lash · leaves · calf · present

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. swing — to play on
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. present — the time now
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. root — of a plant
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. root — of a word
  12. swing — in golf
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. present — there
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. swing — music
  20. present — a gift
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. root — the cause
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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