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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: squash · prune · shower · wake · stem · object · bulb · cell

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. object — to protest
  3. squash — the sport
  4. cell — in biology
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. prune — to trim
  7. wake — a trail
  8. object — a thing
  9. shower — to wash
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. object — an aim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. cell — a phone
  15. squash — to crush
  16. stem — to come from
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. shower — rain
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bulb — for light
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cell — in a prison

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