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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. root — of a plant
  3. root — of a word
  4. prune — to trim
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. fall — to drop
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. mug — a cup
  9. craft — boats
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. mug — a face
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. fall — the season
  14. fall — to drop
  15. mug — to rob
  16. craft — a skill
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. wax — to grow
  19. root — the cause
  20. snap — to click
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. prune — to trim
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. wax — in the ear

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