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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: prune · stem · can · lash · bear · mark · land · court

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — ground
  3. land — a country
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. can — a tin
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. bear — the animal
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. mark — a grade
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of a king
  13. prune — to trim
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. prune — to trim
  18. can — a tin
  19. mark — a trace
  20. bear — the animal
  21. stem — to come from
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. court — of law

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