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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
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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: wound · rush · root · bay · firm · prune · game · clip

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. firm — steady
  4. root — of a plant
  5. wound — an injury
  6. clip — for paper
  7. prune — to trim
  8. game — a match
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. clip — a video
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. root — the cause
  13. clip — to cut
  14. game — wild animals
  15. root — of a word
  16. rush — hurry
  17. firm — decided
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. prune — to trim
  21. firm — a company
  22. wound — an injury
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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