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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: rash · rush · stem · prune · board · clip · toast · mark

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. rash — hasty
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. prune — to trim
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rash — a series
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. board — a committee
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. stem — to come from
  13. clip — a video
  14. toast — bread
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. clip — to cut
  19. mark — a trace
  20. clip — for paper
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. mark — to pay attention

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