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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: last · root · lean · date · spell · band · net · lash

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. net — in sport
  3. spell — magic
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. spell — a short time
  6. date — the fruit
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. root — of a plant
  9. last — finally
  10. spell — letters
  11. net — for catching
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. lean — thin
  14. root — of a word
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. last — final
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. net — after costs
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a ring
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. last — to go on
  23. lean — to bend
  24. root — the cause

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