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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. plane — a tool
  7. rest — a break
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. kid — to tease
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. rule — government
  14. prune — to trim
  15. root — of a plant
  16. rest — what's left
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. root — the cause
  20. rest — what's left
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. kid — child
  23. root — of a word
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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