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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: prune · tear · bear · bulb · rock · stem · land · band

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stem — to come from
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. band — a music group
  7. land — a country
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. land — ground
  10. bulb — for light
  11. band — a ring
  12. rock — a stone
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. land — to come down
  18. rock — music
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. tear — to rip
  21. bear — the animal
  22. prune — to trim
  23. tear — from crying
  24. prune — to trim

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