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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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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: stem · leaves · prune · rock · wind · object · fork · tear

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. object — an aim
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. wind — moving air
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. rock — music
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. object — a thing
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. tear — to rip
  14. tear — from crying
  15. wind — moving air
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rock — a stone
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. prune — to trim
  23. stem — to come from
  24. object — to protest

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