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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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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: march · perch · snap · rash · root · pass · prune · bay

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. rash — a series
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. root — of a plant
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — to trim
  10. march — the month
  11. pass — a permit
  12. march — music
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. perch — the fish
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to click
  18. rash — hasty
  19. root — the cause
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. root — of a word
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. march — the month

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