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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: root · spell · spring · pitch · lash · wind · hand · perch

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. wind — moving air
  3. spell — a short time
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. spring — of water
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. spell — letters
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. pitch — completely
  11. root — of a word
  12. perch — the fish
  13. root — the cause
  14. hand — help
  15. wind — moving air
  16. spring — a coil
  17. spring — the season
  18. hand — in cards
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. spell — magic
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. hand — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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