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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: kick · bowl · roll · saw · fan · root · tear · firm

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. roll — a cake
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. tear — to rip
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. firm — a company
  9. root — of a word
  10. firm — steady
  11. kick — in football
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. root — of a plant
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. firm — decided
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. tear — from crying
  20. root — the cause
  21. saw — the tool
  22. roll — a list
  23. saw — the tool
  24. fan — a supporter

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