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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
468
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: craft · rush · fall · spring · prune · stick · root · mug

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. fall — to drop
  3. root — of a plant
  4. prune — to trim
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mug — a cup
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. craft — a skill
  11. spring — a coil
  12. fall — the season
  13. fall — to drop
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. craft — boats
  16. rush — hurry
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mug — a face
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. spring — the season
  21. root — the cause
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. spring — of water
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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