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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: shower · ground · branch · prune · stem · cell · face · ruler

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. shower — rain
  5. ground — a position
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. prune — to trim
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. ground — the earth
  10. face — to point toward
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. cell — a phone
  13. face — part of the head
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. face — to confront
  17. stem — to come from
  18. shower — to wash
  19. ground — crushed
  20. prune — to trim
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. branch — a division

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