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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lie · degree · root · prune · rash · calf · mark · nail

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. root — of a word
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. degree — temperature
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. rash — hasty
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. mark — a trace
  11. root — of a plant
  12. prune — to trim
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. lie — to recline
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. degree — from a university
  19. degree — an amount
  20. rash — a series
  21. mark — a grade
  22. root — the cause
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. lie — an untruth

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