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

Word bank: tear · root · prune · firm · fall · arm · fork · board

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. root — of a word
  3. firm — a company
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. fall — to drop
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. prune — to trim
  8. firm — decided
  9. tear — from crying
  10. fall — the season
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. root — the cause
  14. board — to get on
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. root — of a plant
  18. fork — in a road
  19. firm — steady
  20. fall — to drop
  21. prune — to trim
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. board — a committee
  24. tear — from crying

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