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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: mine · stand · race · sharp · foot · saw · lash · root

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. root — the cause
  5. race — the arms race
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. root — of a word
  8. race — humankind
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. sharp — clever
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. mine — for digging
  14. stand — to bear
  15. root — of a plant
  16. race — a contest
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. sharp — with an edge

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