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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: stem · row · prune · stick · mine · face · board · toast

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. board — to get on
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. face — part of the head
  9. board — a committee
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. face — to confront
  15. toast — bread
  16. row — to paddle
  17. stem — to come from
  18. prune — to trim
  19. face — to point toward
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. row — a line
  22. mine — for digging
  23. prune — to trim
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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