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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.

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: bulb · root · march · craft · mark · lie · file · prune

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. march — the month
  5. craft — boats
  6. file — a line of people
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. craft — a skill
  9. bulb — for light
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. march — music
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mark — a trace
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. bulb — for light
  16. root — the cause
  17. file — a document
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. root — of a plant
  21. lie — to recline
  22. mark — a grade
  23. march — the month
  24. root — of a word

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