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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: racket · rest · root · lash · mark · stand · ground · tear

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  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. root — of a plant
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. rest — what's left
  4. ground — the earth
  5. ground — a position
  6. mark — a trace
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. ground — crushed
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. mark — a grade
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. root — of a word
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — to rip
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stand — to bear
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. tear — from crying
  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