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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: tube · roll · board · lash · prune · kid · foot · root

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. board — a committee
  3. kid — child
  4. prune — to trim
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. board — to get on
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. tube — the underground
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. roll — a cake
  12. tube — a container
  13. prune — to trim
  14. foot — a measure
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. kid — to tease
  18. root — the cause
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. roll — a list
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. root — of a plant
  23. foot — the bottom
  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