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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: rule · prune · straw · foot · stem · present · nail · mine

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. foot — a measure
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. present — the time now
  10. rule — government
  11. mine — for digging
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. prune — to trim
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. rule — a law
  19. stem — to come from
  20. present — a gift
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. prune — to trim
  24. mine — an explosive

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