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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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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 · ruler · cold · bowl · root · prune · stick · lie

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. lie — to recline
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. cold — not warm
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. cold — an illness
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. root — the cause
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. root — of a word
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bass — low music
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. root — of a plant
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bowl — to roll

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