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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: cabinet · prune · bark · snap · root · tear · wind · suit

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. root — of a plant
  6. wind — moving air
  7. suit — in cards
  8. prune — to trim
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. prune — to trim
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. root — of a word
  16. bark — to shout
  17. tear — from crying
  18. snap — to click
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. root — the cause
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. suit — to fit
  23. suit — clothes
  24. wind — moving air

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