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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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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: coach · rush · stem · root · prune · can · mine · stick

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mine — for digging
  4. root — of a plant
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. can — to be able to
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. root — the cause
  16. can — a tin
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. prune — to trim
  20. rush — hurry
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. root — of a word
  23. can — a tin
  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