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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 · rest · last · mate · lash · kid · rule · kick

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. root — of a plant
  5. root — of a word
  6. kick — in football
  7. kid — child
  8. mate — a partner
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. rule — government
  11. kid — to tease
  12. last — finally
  13. last — to go on
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. last — final
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — a break
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. mate — a friend
  22. root — the cause
  23. mate — to breed
  24. rule — a law

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