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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.

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: bank · lash · trunk · root · prune · can · hand · degree

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. root — the cause
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. bank — for money
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. hand — help
  7. prune — to trim
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. root — of a plant
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. degree — temperature
  12. degree — an amount
  13. bank — for money
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. degree — from a university
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. can — to be able to
  18. hand — in cards
  19. can — a tin
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. prune — to trim
  22. root — of a word
  23. bank — of a river
  24. lash — to lash out

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