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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: roll · spell · rush · degree · foot · lean · hide · prune

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — to trim
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. foot — a measure
  7. roll — a list
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. degree — temperature
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. spell — a short time
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. roll — a cake
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. rush — hurry
  17. spell — letters
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. spell — magic
  20. degree — an amount
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. degree — from a university
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to bend

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