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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: ruler · spell · cabinet · root · pop · prune · chest · stick

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. chest — of your body
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. spell — magic
  6. chest — of your body
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. root — of a plant
  9. chest — a box
  10. pop — music
  11. spell — a short time
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. prune — to trim
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. root — of a word
  18. spell — letters
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pop — soda
  23. root — the cause
  24. prune — the fruit

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