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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: tear · lash · cell · cap · root · pound · drill · fan

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. cap — a lid
  3. pound — a weight
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. root — of a plant
  8. drill — army training
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — to rip
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cap — of ice
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. root — of a word
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. root — the cause
  20. cell — a phone
  21. drill — the tool
  22. tear — from crying
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. cap — a hat

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