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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: cell · spell · nail · lash · pass · kick · straw · root

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. spell — a short time
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. spell — letters
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cell — in biology
  13. root — of a plant
  14. root — of a word
  15. pass — a permit
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. kick — in football
  23. spell — magic
  24. kick — a thrill

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