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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.

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: firm · chair · bulb · root · clip · plane · prune · nail

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bulb — for light
  3. root — the cause
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. prune — to trim
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. chair — a leader
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. root — of a plant
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. clip — for paper
  15. firm — decided
  16. clip — to cut
  17. root — of a word
  18. bulb — for light
  19. firm — steady
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. firm — a company
  23. plane — a tool
  24. clip — a video

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