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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.

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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: last · stem · object · prune · bear · snap · court · chair

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. prune — to trim
  3. court — for sport
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. object — to protest
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. bear — the animal
  10. object — an aim
  11. stem — to come from
  12. last — finally
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. court — of law
  15. last — to go on
  16. last — final
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. snap — to click
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. chair — a leader
  21. court — of a king
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. prune — to trim
  24. object — a thing

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