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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: nail · arm · prune · court · root · wake · hide · lash

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. root — of a word
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. court — of law
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. root — the cause
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. root — of a plant
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. wake — a trail
  18. prune — to trim
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. court — of a king
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. prune — to trim

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