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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. root — of a word
  3. prune — to trim
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. root — of a plant
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. root — the cause
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. hand — in cards
  12. kick — in football
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. hand — help
  17. prune — to trim
  18. hand — part of the body

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