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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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468
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: cold · root · racket · march · lash · bear · lie · pitcher

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. cold — an illness
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. root — the cause
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. root — of a word
  10. march — music
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. root — of a plant
  17. march — the month
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bear — the animal
  20. cold — not warm
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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