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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 116 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: key · deal · rock · tube · lash · root · bark · kid

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. tube — the underground
  3. root — of a word
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. rock — music
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bark — to shout
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. root — of a plant
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. key — in music
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. key — the most important part
  16. tube — a container
  17. rock — a stone
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. kid — to tease
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. deal — to handle
  22. key — for a lock
  23. kid — child
  24. root — the cause

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