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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: bat · pit · rest · lash · spell · root · swing · hand

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. root — of a word
  3. swing — in golf
  4. swing — music
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. hand — help
  7. swing — to play on
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. spell — a short time
  12. pit — a hole
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. root — of a plant
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. spell — magic
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. hand — in cards
  22. spell — letters
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bat — the animal

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