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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rush · tear · cabinet · stem · track · prune · bear · mouse

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bear — the animal
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. prune — to trim
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. track — to keep track
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. tear — to rip
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — from crying
  17. stem — to come from
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. track — a song
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bear — the animal
  23. track — a path
  24. rush — to hurry

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