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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. lean — thin
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. race — humankind
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. race — a contest
  7. prune — to trim
  8. track — a path
  9. lean — to bend
  10. staff — a stick
  11. root — the cause
  12. staff — employees
  13. drill — a practice
  14. root — of a word
  15. staff — employees
  16. root — of a plant
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. track — to keep track
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. drill — the tool
  21. prune — to trim
  22. drill — army training
  23. track — a song
  24. race — the arms race

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