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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: mouse · ball · tube · root · last · dip · lash · land

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. tube — the underground
  3. last — finally
  4. last — final
  5. root — the cause
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. land — ground
  8. last — to go on
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. dip — to sink
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. land — a country
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. tube — a container
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. root — of a plant
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. ball — a dance
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. land — to come down
  23. root — of a word
  24. ball — a great time

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