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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 116 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: net · lean · prune · spell · sharp · fine · stem · rest

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  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. rest — what's left
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. spell — letters
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. sharp — clever
  8. spell — a short time
  9. lean — to bend
  10. net — in sport
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — to trim
  13. net — after costs
  14. stem — to come from
  15. spell — magic
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break
  19. fine — high quality
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. lean — thin
  22. net — for catching
  23. fine — all right
  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