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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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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 · rush · rest · stem · staff · wave · race · fork

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  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. race — the arms race
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — what's left
  5. staff — employees
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. rest — a break
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. rush — hurry
  12. fork — in a road
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. staff — a stick
  15. staff — employees
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stem — to come from
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. race — a contest
  23. race — humankind
  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