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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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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: bore · field · root · season · stand · rush · mine · lash

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. rush — hurry
  4. field — farmland
  5. root — the cause
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bore — to tire
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. root — of a plant
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. field — a subject
  16. root — of a word
  17. bore — to drill
  18. season — of the year
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. mine — for digging
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. stand — to bear
  23. field — for sport
  24. stand — for spectators

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