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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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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: prune · bound · root · lash · firm · spring · wound · track

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. wound — an injury
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. firm — decided
  6. firm — a company
  7. track — a song
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. spring — of water
  12. root — of a plant
  13. track — a path
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. root — the cause
  16. spring — a coil
  17. spring — the season
  18. prune — to trim
  19. root — of a word
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bound — tied together
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. bound — certain
  24. bound — obliged

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