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

Word bank: stem · club · deal · prune · suit · chest · fall · tube

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. club — for dancing
  4. chest — of your body
  5. club — for golf
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — the underground
  9. chest — a box
  10. chest — of your body
  11. fall — the season
  12. suit — to fit
  13. fall — to drop
  14. deal — to handle
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. suit — clothes
  17. club — a group
  18. stem — to come from
  19. fall — to drop
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. suit — in cards
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. prune — to trim
  24. deal — a big deal

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