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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. fall — the season
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. fall — to drop
  5. prune — to trim
  6. race — humankind
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. key — for a lock
  9. race — the arms race
  10. prune — to trim
  11. fall — to drop
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. deal — to handle
  16. board — to get on
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. stem — to come from
  20. board — a committee
  21. key — in music
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. key — the most important part
  24. race — a contest

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