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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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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: bass · lash · foot · bear · pound · prune · ruler · root

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. bass — the fish
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. root — of a word
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bass — low music
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. root — the cause
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pound — a weight
  21. prune — to trim
  22. foot — a measure
  23. root — of a plant
  24. bear — the animal

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