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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.

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: arm · prune · bound · stem · spell · root · file · hide

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. spell — letters
  4. root — of a word
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. root — of a plant
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bound — obliged
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. file — a document
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. bound — certain
  13. stem — to come from
  14. root — the cause
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — a short time
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. file — a tool
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bound — tied together
  23. stem — of a plant
  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