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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: prune · suit · plane · tube · lean · root · race · bulb

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. lean — thin
  3. prune — to trim
  4. suit — in cards
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. suit — to fit
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. race — the arms race
  13. race — a contest
  14. race — humankind
  15. bulb — for light
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. lean — to bend
  19. plane — a tool
  20. root — of a plant
  21. root — of a word
  22. bulb — for light
  23. tube — a container
  24. root — the cause

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