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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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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: foot · cell · ball · lash · bay · root · pitcher · kick

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. foot — a measure
  7. ball — a dance
  8. root — of a plant
  9. ball — a great time
  10. kick — in football
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. cell — in biology
  20. root — the cause
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. cell — a phone
  23. root — of a word
  24. foot — the bottom

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