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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 · bay · pit · roll · rest · chest · lash · mouse

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. roll — a cake
  4. chest — of your body
  5. root — the cause
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. rest — a break
  11. chest — a box
  12. root — of a plant
  13. rest — what's left
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pit — a hole
  17. roll — a list
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. root — of a word
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. lash — an eyelash

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