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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: present · lash · scale · wound · dip · row · temple · root

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. scale — in music
  5. dip — to sink
  6. present — there
  7. present — the time now
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. row — to paddle
  10. root — the cause
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. present — a gift
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. row — a line
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. wound — an injury
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. root — of a plant
  22. root — of a word
  23. wound — an injury
  24. scale — size or range

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