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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 120 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: prune · stem · cue · chest · fall · rock · foot · mate

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. cue — a signal
  3. prune — to trim
  4. stem — to come from
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. fall — to drop
  7. cue — for pool
  8. fall — to drop
  9. chest — of your body
  10. rock — music
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mate — to breed
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. mate — a friend
  17. fall — the season
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. foot — a measure
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. cue — a hint
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — a box

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