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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 116 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: can · scale · tear · stem · rule · prune · chip · mug

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. stem — to come from
  3. mug — a cup
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. scale — in music
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. rule — a law
  10. can — a tin
  11. tear — to rip
  12. rule — government
  13. can — to be able to
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. chip — for betting
  16. scale — size or range
  17. chip — to eat
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. prune — to trim
  21. can — a tin
  22. mug — a face
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — from crying

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