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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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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: hide · kick · band · root · hand · bore

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. root — the cause
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. root — of a word
  8. bore — to tire
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hand — in cards
  12. band — a music group
  13. root — of a plant
  14. kick — in football
  15. hand — help
  16. bore — to drill
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. band — a ring

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