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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: root · key · scale · kid · lean · prune · leaves · stem

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. prune — to trim
  4. scale — size or range
  5. kid — child
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. kid — to tease
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. root — of a word
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. root — of a plant
  13. scale — in music
  14. key — the most important part
  15. lean — to bend
  16. prune — to trim
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. key — in music
  20. key — for a lock
  21. root — the cause
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. stem — to come from

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