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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.

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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: roll · nail · prune · toast · root · kick · wound · chest

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. root — of a plant
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. toast — bread
  6. roll — a cake
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. chest — of your body
  11. wound — an injury
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. prune — to trim
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. roll — a list
  16. chest — of your body
  17. kick — in football
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wound — an injury
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. chest — a box
  24. root — of a word

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