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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: root · lash · face · rock · chair · cabinet · ruler · wave

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. face — to confront
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — the cause
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. face — part of the head
  11. chair — a leader
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. face — to point toward
  18. rock — music
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. rock — a stone
  21. root — of a plant
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. rock — to move gently
  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