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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. saw — the tool
  6. prune — to trim
  7. root — of a word
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. rush — hurry
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. root — of a plant
  14. saw — the tool
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cell — a phone
  19. root — the cause
  20. deal — to handle
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. cabinet — ministers

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