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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: kid · spell · root · prune · nail · deal · last · stand

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. spell — magic
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. root — of a word
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. last — finally
  8. root — of a plant
  9. spell — letters
  10. kid — child
  11. prune — to trim
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. spell — a short time
  15. last — final
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. prune — to trim
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. last — to go on
  21. stand — to bear
  22. deal — to handle
  23. kid — to tease
  24. nail — for a hammer

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