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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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: net · trunk · squash · fan · lash · bore · wind · leaves

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. net — for catching
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. wind — moving air
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. bore — to tire
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. net — in sport
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. squash — the sport
  21. wind — moving air
  22. squash — to crush
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. bore — to drill

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