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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: lash · fine · arm · net · root · hand · field · rock

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. net — for catching
  7. root — of a word
  8. fine — all right
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. hand — in cards
  12. net — after costs
  13. root — the cause
  14. fine — high quality
  15. net — in sport
  16. hand — help
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — music
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. root — of a plant
  21. field — a subject
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. field — for sport
  24. field — farmland

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