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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: mug · bore · prune · chip · stem · straw · vault · stand

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. prune — to trim
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. bore — to tire
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — a face
  9. bore — to drill
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chip — to eat
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. prune — to trim
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. stand — to bear
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. mug — to rob
  23. vault — a safe
  24. stem — a stem cell

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