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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 120 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: root · net · lean · clip · prune · bear · bulb · mark

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. bear — the animal
  3. mark — a grade
  4. root — of a word
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. root — the cause
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. clip — for paper
  9. bear — the animal
  10. net — in sport
  11. lean — to bend
  12. net — for catching
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bulb — for light
  15. clip — a video
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. lean — thin
  19. prune — to trim
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. mark — a trace
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. clip — to cut

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