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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. lean — to bend
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. lean — thin
  5. root — the cause
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. firm — a company
  9. firm — steady
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. prune — to trim
  12. ball — a dance
  13. pit — a hole
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. pit — in a race
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. root — of a plant
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. ball — a great time
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. root — of a word
  24. plane — a tool

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