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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: roll · suit · toast · rock · mine · stem · fall · prune

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — to drop
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — clothes
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. mine — for digging
  8. rock — music
  9. suit — in cards
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. toast — bread
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. roll — a cake
  16. roll — a list
  17. fall — the season
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. rock — a stone
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. stem — to come from

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