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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: snap · jam · cell · kick · stick · stem · shower · prune

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. shower — to wash
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stem — to come from
  7. kick — in football
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — to trim
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. cell — a phone
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. shower — rain
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. cell — in biology
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. snap — to click
  24. kick — a thrill

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