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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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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: safe · lash · hide · root · racket · kid · prune · bear

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. prune — to trim
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. root — of a word
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. bear — the animal
  13. kid — child
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. bear — the animal
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. prune — to trim
  21. root — the cause
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. root — of a plant
  24. kid — to tease

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