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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: tube · lash · roll · march · toast · root · foot · cap

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. cap — a lid
  3. march — the month
  4. roll — a cake
  5. march — the month
  6. foot — a measure
  7. root — of a word
  8. cap — a hat
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. tube — a container
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. march — music
  17. roll — a list
  18. root — of a plant
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. cap — of ice
  21. toast — bread
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. tube — the underground

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