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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: date · race · content · bore · fan · root · lash · object

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. race — the arms race
  3. date — the fruit
  4. race — humankind
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. object — a thing
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. content — happy
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. bore — to tire
  11. object — an aim
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. race — a contest
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. root — of a plant
  19. content — the amount
  20. object — to protest
  21. root — the cause
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. root — of a word

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