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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. ground — the earth
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. root — of a plant
  7. ground — crushed
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. prune — to trim
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. root — of a word
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. ground — a position
  14. can — to be able to
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. can — a tin
  19. stem — to come from
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. prune — to trim
  22. can — a tin
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. root — the cause

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