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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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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: lie · bowl · march · prune · stem · rule · root · leaves

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. rule — a law
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. prune — to trim
  6. march — the month
  7. root — of a word
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. rule — government
  12. root — of a plant
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. stem — to come from
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. march — the month
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. root — the cause
  23. march — music
  24. prune — to trim

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