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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: stem · safe · chair · prune · plane · kid · craft · rest

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. prune — to trim
  3. craft — a skill
  4. kid — child
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. plane — a tool
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. stem — to come from
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rest — what's left
  15. chair — a leader
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. kid — to tease
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. craft — boats
  22. prune — to trim
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. safe — a strongbox

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