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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. present — there
  6. file — a line of people
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. prune — to trim
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. file — a tool
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. present — the time now
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. file — a document
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rock — a stone
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. stem — to come from

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