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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. rest — what's left
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mate — a friend
  6. cue — a hint
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. mate — to breed
  9. cue — a signal
  10. rest — a break
  11. bore — to tire
  12. rest — what's left
  13. firm — decided
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. stem — to come from
  17. vault — a safe
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. cue — for pool
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bore — to drill
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. firm — steady
  24. prune — to trim

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