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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 · roll · pit · lash · date · hide · cap · perch

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. date — the fruit
  5. root — of a word
  6. root — the cause
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. roll — a cake
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pit — a hole
  11. cap — a hat
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. perch — the fish
  15. cap — of ice
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. roll — a list
  20. cap — a lid
  21. root — of a plant
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. perch — for a bird

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