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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: prune · pitcher · plane · file · key · straw · squash · stem

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. prune — to trim
  4. stem — to come from
  5. prune — to trim
  6. key — in music
  7. file — a tool
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. squash — to crush
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. squash — the sport
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. key — for a lock
  18. file — a document
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. file — a line of people
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. plane — a tool
  24. key — the most important part

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