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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. stem — to come from
  3. last — to go on
  4. chest — a box
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. prune — to trim
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. deal — to handle
  10. chest — of your body
  11. last — finally
  12. squash — the sport
  13. chest — of your body
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. staff — employees
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. staff — employees
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. staff — a stick
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. last — final
  24. squash — to crush

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