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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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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 · wave · stem · race · fall · bound · roll · foot

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. fall — to drop
  4. foot — a measure
  5. bound — certain
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. roll — a list
  8. race — a contest
  9. prune — to trim
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bound — obliged
  13. fall — the season
  14. race — humankind
  15. prune — to trim
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. race — the arms race
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. bound — tied together
  21. fall — to drop
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. stem — to come from
  24. wave — with your hand

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