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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 120 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: perch · mate · stick · kick · root · tube · field · lash

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. field — for sport
  3. root — of a plant
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mate — to breed
  11. field — a subject
  12. root — the cause
  13. root — of a word
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. tube — the underground
  16. field — farmland
  17. mate — a friend
  18. tube — a container
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. perch — the fish
  21. mate — a partner
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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