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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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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: tube · club · ruler · stem · perch · wake · prune · cap

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. tube — a container
  3. prune — to trim
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. cap — a lid
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. club — for dancing
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. perch — the fish
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. club — a group
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. club — for golf
  15. prune — to trim
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. stem — to come from
  20. tube — the underground
  21. cap — of ice
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. cap — a hat
  24. wake — a trail

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