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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: prune · dip · bark · stand · calf · root · ground · arm

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. prune — to trim
  3. root — of a plant
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. stand — to bear
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. root — the cause
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. ground — crushed
  16. dip — to sink
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bark — to shout
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. root — of a word
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ground — a position
  24. calf — of the leg

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