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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: land · root · prune · roll · spring · ruler · dip · object

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. dip — to sink
  4. root — the cause
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. spring — a coil
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. land — to come down
  10. prune — to trim
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. land — a country
  13. spring — of water
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. root — of a plant
  16. roll — a list
  17. spring — the season
  18. roll — a cake
  19. root — of a word
  20. object — a thing
  21. prune — to trim
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. object — to protest
  24. object — an aim

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