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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: pass · object · prune · rash · chest · degree · stem · bore

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pass — a permit
  4. bore — to tire
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — of your body
  7. prune — to trim
  8. object — an aim
  9. rash — hasty
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. object — a thing
  12. object — to protest
  13. degree — an amount
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. rash — a series
  17. degree — temperature
  18. bore — to drill
  19. stem — to come from
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. degree — from a university
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stem — of a plant

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