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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: race · root · bat · lash · hide · fan · leaves · rush

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bat — the animal
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. root — of a word
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. race — a contest
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. root — the cause
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. race — humankind
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. race — the arms race
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. rush — hurry
  24. root — of a plant

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