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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 116 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: firm · ground · leaves · craft · prune · stem · cap · cold

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. firm — decided
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. firm — steady
  5. prune — to trim
  6. cap — a hat
  7. ground — a position
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. firm — a company
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. cold — not warm
  14. craft — a skill
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. stem — to come from
  18. ground — the earth
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. cap — of ice
  21. ground — crushed
  22. cap — a lid
  23. prune — to trim
  24. cold — an illness

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