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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 116 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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. prune — to trim
  6. club — for dancing
  7. club — a group
  8. snap — to click
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. prune — to trim
  12. club — for golf
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a document
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. file — a line of people
  17. pound — a weight
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. stem — to come from
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. trunk — of a car

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