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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: calf · stem · prune · tear · craft · key · pitcher · wave

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. craft — a skill
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. tear — from crying
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. craft — boats
  16. key — for a lock
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. key — the most important part
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. tear — to rip
  22. key — in music
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. pitcher — a jug

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