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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: root · kick · bay · pound · tear · swing · cell · lash

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. cell — a phone
  3. pound — a weight
  4. tear — to rip
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. root — of a word
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. swing — in golf
  10. root — the cause
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. kick — in football
  15. swing — music
  16. tear — from crying
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. swing — to play on
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. root — of a plant
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. cell — in biology
  24. tear — from crying

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