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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: fan · chest · bore · court · stand · file · lash · root

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. file — a document
  3. chest — a box
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. root — the cause
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. court — of law
  12. chest — of your body
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. court — of a king
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. root — of a plant
  17. file — a tool
  18. chest — of your body
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. court — for sport
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. bore — to tire
  23. file — a line of people
  24. root — of a word

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