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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 · pop · spell · straw · prune · season · bore · mug

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. pop — to visit
  3. season — of the year
  4. root — of a plant
  5. spell — a short time
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. spell — letters
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. pop — music
  10. bore — to drill
  11. season — in sport
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. bore — to tire
  14. root — of a word
  15. root — the cause
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mug — a cup
  18. pop — soda
  19. prune — to trim
  20. spell — magic
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. mug — a face
  24. straw — dry grass

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