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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: track · mate · deal · root · bear · squash · drill · lash

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. drill — army training
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. track — a path
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mate — a friend
  10. drill — the tool
  11. track — a song
  12. squash — to crush
  13. track — to keep track
  14. root — the cause
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. deal — to handle
  17. drill — a practice
  18. mate — a partner
  19. root — of a plant
  20. root — of a word
  21. mate — to breed
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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