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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. file — a document
  4. prune — to trim
  5. root — of a plant
  6. rule — government
  7. root — of a word
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bank — of a river
  10. root — the cause
  11. file — a line of people
  12. bound — certain
  13. rule — a law
  14. bound — obliged
  15. spell — letters
  16. lie — to recline
  17. prune — to trim
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. file — a tool
  21. bank — for money
  22. spell — a short time
  23. bank — for money
  24. rule — to rule out

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