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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 116 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: lash · prune · root · fan · kick · hand · mine · bore

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. hand — in cards
  3. kick — in football
  4. root — of a word
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. root — of a plant
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. hand — help
  11. root — the cause
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bore — to tire
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. prune — to trim
  21. mine — for digging
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bore — gave birth

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