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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: lash · root · cabinet · row · tear · chair · degree · bay

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. degree — from a university
  3. tear — from crying
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. degree — temperature
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a word
  11. row — to paddle
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. chair — a leader
  15. tear — to rip
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. root — of a plant
  22. degree — an amount
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. row — a quarrel

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