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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. rush — hurry
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. march — the month
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. prune — to trim
  9. root — the cause
  10. firm — steady
  11. firm — decided
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. march — music
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. root — of a word
  16. wind — moving air
  17. root — of a plant
  18. march — the month
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. prune — to trim
  22. wind — moving air
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. dip — to sink

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