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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
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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 · prune · firm · lash · safe · pop · branch · degree

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. degree — from a university
  3. degree — an amount
  4. pop — soda
  5. firm — decided
  6. prune — to trim
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. root — of a plant
  11. firm — steady
  12. degree — temperature
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. root — of a word
  16. branch — a division
  17. root — the cause
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. pop — music
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. firm — a company

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