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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 120 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: calf · prune · saw · can · root · leaves · pitcher · spring

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  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. spring — the season
  2. root — of a word
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. root — of a plant
  7. can — to be able to
  8. spring — of water
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. saw — the tool
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. spring — a coil
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. can — a tin
  21. root — the cause
  22. can — a tin
  23. calf — a young animal
  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