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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: lean · prune · leaves · suit · saw · root · arm · vault

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. suit — to fit
  4. lean — to bend
  5. root — of a plant
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. suit — clothes
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. prune — to trim
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. vault — a safe
  14. saw — the tool
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. suit — in cards
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — the cause
  23. saw — the tool
  24. prune — to trim

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