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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bulb · field · stem · prune · bore · row · mate · safe

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. field — farmland
  9. bore — to tire
  10. row — to paddle
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. mate — a partner
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bore — to drill
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. row — a line
  20. mate — a friend
  21. field — for sport
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. stem — to come from
  24. field — a subject

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