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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: tear · branch · kick · prune · stem · club · suit · mine

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. mine — for digging
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. stem — to come from
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. tear — from crying
  11. kick — in football
  12. club — for golf
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — clothes
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. suit — in cards
  19. branch — a division
  20. club — a group
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. tear — from crying
  23. club — for dancing
  24. prune — to trim

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