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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: cold · root · mate · calf · wave · suit · lash · temple

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. cold — an illness
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. mate — to breed
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. root — of a plant
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. mate — a friend
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. suit — to fit
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. cold — not warm
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. root — the cause
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. root — of a word
  20. suit — clothes
  21. mate — a partner
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. suit — in cards

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