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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: wound · ground · prune · drill · stem · rush · bark · foot

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. drill — a practice
  5. wound — an injury
  6. drill — the tool
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. ground — crushed
  9. drill — army training
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. ground — the earth
  12. prune — to trim
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. ground — a position
  15. bark — to shout
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. prune — to trim
  20. stem — to come from
  21. rush — hurry
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. wound — an injury
  24. foot — a measure

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