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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: foot · roll · cue · craft · pit · root · lash · wind

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. craft — boats
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. craft — a skill
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. pit — a hole
  9. cue — a signal
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. root — the cause
  12. cue — a hint
  13. foot — a measure
  14. wind — moving air
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. cue — for pool
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. wind — moving air
  19. root — of a plant
  20. roll — a list
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. root — of a word
  23. pit — in a race
  24. roll — a cake

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