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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: pass · firm · file · stem · straw · bulb · prune · cue

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cue — a hint
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bulb — for light
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. cue — for pool
  7. file — a document
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. file — a line of people
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. stem — to come from
  14. firm — steady
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. firm — a company
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. prune — to trim
  19. firm — decided
  20. bulb — for light
  21. file — a tool
  22. pass — a permit
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. pass — to succeed

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