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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — to trim
  3. row — to paddle
  4. club — for dancing
  5. last — finally
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. mate — a friend
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. last — to go on
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mate — a partner
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. club — for golf
  16. last — final
  17. rush — hurry
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. branch — a division
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. row — a line
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. club — a group
  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