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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: prune · pop · root · roll · safe · mine · kid · dip

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. root — of a word
  3. dip — to sink
  4. pop — music
  5. pop — to visit
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a plant
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. mine — for digging
  10. roll — a list
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. kid — child
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. roll — a cake
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. pop — soda
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. kid — to tease

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