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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 · bear · pound · bound · calf · fall · prune · saw

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — tied together
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. root — of a plant
  7. bear — the animal
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. pound — a weight
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — the season
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. fall — to drop
  18. prune — to trim
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. bound — certain
  21. bear — the animal
  22. saw — the tool
  23. root — the cause
  24. root — of a word

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