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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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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: last · prune · rush · chest · stem · ruler · bark · mug

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. mug — a face
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. mug — to rob
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. last — to go on
  9. mug — a cup
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. chest — of your body
  13. last — final
  14. bark — to shout
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. last — finally
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. chest — a box
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rush — hurry
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. chest — of your body

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