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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. root — the cause
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. staff — employees
  5. firm — decided
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. cold — an illness
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. firm — a company
  13. chip — for betting
  14. cold — not warm
  15. staff — a stick
  16. staff — employees
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. prune — to trim
  20. chip — to eat
  21. firm — steady
  22. root — of a word
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. root — 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