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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: cell · cap · date · lean · root · hide · lash · mark

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. lean — to bend
  3. date — the fruit
  4. lean — thin
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cap — a lid
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a grade
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. mark — a trace
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. root — of a plant
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. root — the cause
  18. cell — a phone
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cell — in biology
  24. lash — an eyelash

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