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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. lean — to bend
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. root — of a plant
  9. craft — boats
  10. root — the cause
  11. root — of a word
  12. craft — a skill
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. lean — thin
  16. prune — to trim
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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