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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: lash · mug · root · field · scale · wave · staff · can

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. field — farmland
  4. scale — size or range
  5. staff — a stick
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. can — a tin
  8. staff — employees
  9. can — a tin
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. field — for sport
  13. root — of a word
  14. mug — to rob
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a plant
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. mug — a face
  20. scale — in music
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. field — a subject
  23. can — to be able to
  24. staff — employees

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