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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 124 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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bound — tied together
  4. root — of a plant
  5. bear — the animal
  6. suit — clothes
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. ground — a position
  9. suit — to fit
  10. suit — in cards
  11. lean — thin
  12. spell — a short time
  13. lean — to bend
  14. spell — letters
  15. bound — obliged
  16. spell — magic
  17. prune — to trim
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ground — the earth
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. root — of a word
  22. bound — certain
  23. root — the cause
  24. bear — the animal

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