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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 120 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
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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: face · root · lash · bear · fan · hide · prune · key

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. key — the most important part
  4. face — part of the head
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bear — the animal
  7. root — of a word
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. bear — the animal
  11. face — to point toward
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. face — to confront
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. key — for a lock
  16. prune — to trim
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. key — in music
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. root — of a plant
  21. root — the cause
  22. prune — to trim
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. hide — animal skin

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