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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: bear · safe · rule · stem · prune · bass · cold · leaves

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. bass — the fish
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bear — the animal
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. rule — government
  10. stem — to come from
  11. bear — the animal
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. cold — an illness
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. rule — a law
  20. prune — to trim
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bass — low music
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. cold — not warm

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