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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 116 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: staff · prune · calf · rush · root · hide · band · degree

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. prune — to trim
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. staff — a stick
  7. staff — employees
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. band — a music group
  10. degree — an amount
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. staff — employees
  13. rush — hurry
  14. root — of a word
  15. root — the cause
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. prune — to trim
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. degree — temperature
  23. degree — from a university
  24. band — a ring

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