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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.

Make a worksheet

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: chair · season · root · prune · lean · bark · track · safe

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  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. lean — thin
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. prune — to trim
  5. track — a song
  6. root — the cause
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. track — a path
  10. season — in sport
  11. track — to keep track
  12. root — of a word
  13. lean — to bend
  14. root — of a plant
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. chair — a leader
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. season — of the year
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bark — to shout
  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