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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. march — music
  3. staff — employees
  4. tube — the underground
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. march — the month
  8. rush — hurry
  9. prune — to trim
  10. stem — to come from
  11. staff — a stick
  12. staff — employees
  13. tube — a container
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. march — the month

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