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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.

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: can · saw · wound · root · kick · fan · pound · roll

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. root — of a word
  3. pound — a weight
  4. kick — in football
  5. roll — a cake
  6. can — to be able to
  7. roll — a list
  8. saw — the tool
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. saw — the tool
  17. wound — an injury
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. root — the cause
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. root — of a plant
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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