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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.

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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. lean — thin
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. prune — to trim
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. file — a line of people
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. file — a document
  15. rock — a stone
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. prune — to trim
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. file — a tool
  21. rock — music
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. stem — to come from
  24. lean — to bend

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