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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: dip · craft · prune · root · mouse · row · wake · lie

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. row — to paddle
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. root — of a word
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. root — of a plant
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. row — a line
  11. dip — to sink
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. prune — to trim
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. lie — to recline
  17. root — the cause
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — boats
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. prune — to trim
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. wake — a trail
  24. prune — the fruit

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