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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: fan · dip · root · prune · ground · firm · fall · trunk

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. firm — steady
  3. root — the cause
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. firm — decided
  6. root — of a word
  7. dip — to sink
  8. prune — to trim
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ground — a position
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. firm — a company
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. fall — to drop
  19. root — of a plant
  20. prune — to trim
  21. ground — crushed
  22. fall — the season
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fan — a supporter

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