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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: root · lash · object · wind · bass · temple · hand · foot

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bass — the fish
  4. wind — moving air
  5. foot — a measure
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. wind — moving air
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. object — to protest
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. object — a thing
  13. root — the cause
  14. hand — help
  15. root — of a word
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. root — of a plant
  18. object — an aim
  19. bass — low music
  20. hand — in cards
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. wind — to turn a key

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