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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 116 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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. key — in music
  4. wound — an injury
  5. race — a contest
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. dip — to sink
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. stem — to come from
  12. bark — to shout
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. race — the arms race
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. wax — to grow
  18. key — for a lock
  19. wound — an injury
  20. prune — to trim
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. prune — to trim
  23. race — humankind
  24. stem — a stem cell

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