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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: bat · lie · lash · root · sharp · wave · court · capital

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. root — of a plant
  3. court — of law
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. root — of a word
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. court — of a king
  8. capital — money
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. root — the cause
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. sharp — clever
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. capital — a city
  19. lie — to recline
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. court — for sport
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. bat — the animal

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