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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cue · racket · rush · lash · ground · root · last · saw

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. saw — the tool
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. ground — crushed
  5. cue — for pool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. ground — the earth
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. ground — a position
  10. last — final
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rush — hurry
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — the cause
  17. root — of a word
  18. cue — a signal
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. last — finally
  21. cue — a hint
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lash — to lash out

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