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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.

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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. root — of a plant
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. wake — a trail
  9. rash — a series
  10. root — of a word
  11. rash — hasty
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. ball — a great time
  16. root — the cause
  17. rush — hurry
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. prune — to trim
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. ball — a dance

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