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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: dip · prune · wave · bound · root · nail · fall · stem

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bound — tied together
  4. dip — to sink
  5. fall — to drop
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. bound — certain
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. prune — to trim
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. fall — to drop
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. stem — to come from
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. fall — the season
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. root — of a word
  21. prune — to trim
  22. root — the cause
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. root — of a plant

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