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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. spell — letters
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — to trim
  5. lean — to bend
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. ground — crushed
  9. spring — of water
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — a short time
  12. stem — to come from
  13. spring — a coil
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ground — a position
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. spring — the season
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. lean — thin
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. stem — of a plant

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