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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: hide · swing · prune · wake · key · fall · stem · cue

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. stem — to come from
  3. fall — the season
  4. key — the most important part
  5. swing — in golf
  6. key — for a lock
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. swing — to play on
  9. key — in music
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — for pool
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. prune — to trim
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. fall — to drop
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. swing — music
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. cue — a signal
  24. prune — to trim

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