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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 120 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: bark · firm · pit · stem · mate · prune · bore · wax

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. stem — to come from
  7. pit — in a race
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mate — to breed
  13. bore — to tire
  14. firm — decided
  15. firm — steady
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mate — a partner
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bark — to shout
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. firm — a company

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