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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: mouse · lean · prune · stem · fall · wound · cabinet · mug

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. fall — to drop
  5. mug — a cup
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. fall — to drop
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — an injury
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. lean — to bend
  13. prune — to trim
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mug — a face
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. fall — the season
  22. stem — to come from
  23. mug — to rob
  24. lean — thin

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