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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: mate · prune · rash · can · spring · stem · rush · rock

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rock — music
  5. rash — a series
  6. spring — of water
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. can — to be able to
  10. rock — a stone
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — a partner
  13. prune — to trim
  14. rush — hurry
  15. stem — to come from
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. mate — to breed
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. can — a tin
  20. spring — a coil
  21. can — a tin
  22. spring — the season
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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