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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: prune · cap · ruler · temple · stem · straw · board · pop

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. prune — to trim
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cap — a hat
  10. prune — to trim
  11. cap — of ice
  12. stem — to come from
  13. pop — soda
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. pop — to visit
  16. board — a committee
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — to get on
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. pop — music
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. cap — a lid

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