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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: prune · jam · can · mine · stem · pass · snap · fall

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. stem — to come from
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. pass — a permit
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. can — a tin
  10. prune — to trim
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. prune — to trim
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. fall — to drop
  15. mine — for digging
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. can — a tin
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. fall — the season
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. snap — to click
  24. can — to be able to

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