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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: fan · stem · track · rash · hide · wave · prune · kick

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. prune — to trim
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. track — to keep track
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. rash — a series
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. prune — to trim
  17. rash — hasty
  18. kick — in football
  19. track — a song
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. track — a path
  24. kick — a thrill

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