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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: bore · mate · mouse · face · rush · arm · root · lash

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. face — part of the head
  5. root — the cause
  6. bore — to drill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. root — of a word
  9. face — to confront
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. face — to point toward
  13. mate — to breed
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — a friend
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. rush — hurry
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. root — of a plant
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. mouse — the animal

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