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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: fine · stem · saw · bore · leaves · fall · rush · prune

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. prune — to trim
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. saw — the tool
  11. stem — to come from
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — high quality
  14. bore — to tire
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. prune — to trim
  17. saw — the tool
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bore — to drill

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