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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 · bore · face · spell · bound · stem · rash · object

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. prune — to trim
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. object — a thing
  6. spell — a short time
  7. rash — hasty
  8. spell — letters
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. spell — magic
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. object — an aim
  13. bound — obliged
  14. face — to point toward
  15. face — part of the head
  16. stem — to come from
  17. object — to protest
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bore — to drill
  22. rash — a series
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. face — to confront

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