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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: present · fan · leaves · bulb · bore · prune · nail · root

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bore — to drill
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. root — of a plant
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. bulb — for light
  11. present — a gift
  12. root — of a word
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. root — the cause
  15. bulb — for light
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — to trim
  19. present — the time now
  20. present — there
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bulb — 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