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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. prune — to trim
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. fall — to drop
  15. saw — the tool
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. mark — a trace
  18. fall — to drop
  19. stem — to come from
  20. fall — the season
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mark — a grade
  24. calf — of the leg

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