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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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. last — to go on
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. key — for a lock
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. dip — to sink
  9. key — the most important part
  10. last — finally
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. root — of a plant
  14. face — to point toward
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. root — of a word
  19. bulb — for light
  20. face — part of the head
  21. face — to confront
  22. key — in music
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. last — final

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