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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: chair · prune · suit · tube · kick · chest · stem · can

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. can — a tin
  7. prune — to trim
  8. can — a tin
  9. tube — the underground
  10. suit — clothes
  11. can — to be able to
  12. stem — to come from
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. chair — a leader
  19. tube — a container
  20. chest — of your body
  21. suit — to fit
  22. suit — in cards
  23. chest — a box
  24. kick — in football

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