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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 120 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: current · foot · straw · lash · tear · racket · bark · root

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. root — the cause
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. tear — from crying
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — electric
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. root — of a plant
  16. tear — to rip
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. tear — from crying
  20. current — of water
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. foot — a measure
  23. root — of a word
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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