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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: arm · spring · pound · plane · root · fall · object · prune

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. prune — to trim
  5. root — of a plant
  6. fall — the season
  7. object — an aim
  8. pound — a weight
  9. fall — to drop
  10. plane — a tool
  11. spring — the season
  12. fall — to drop
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. spring — a coil
  17. object — to protest
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. root — of a word
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. object — a thing
  22. prune — to trim
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. spring — of water

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