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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: degree · root · staff · mug · prune · lean

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. staff — a stick
  3. lean — thin
  4. staff — employees
  5. degree — from a university
  6. degree — an amount
  7. degree — temperature
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. staff — employees
  10. root — of a plant
  11. root — the cause
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. mug — a face
  14. mug — to rob
  15. root — of a word
  16. mug — a cup
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — to trim

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