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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — hurry
  3. pop — to visit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. plane — a tool
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. suit — to fit
  11. cold — not warm
  12. pop — music
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. suit — in cards
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. suit — clothes
  20. cold — an illness
  21. pop — soda
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stand — to bear

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