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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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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: tube · prune · fan · stem · root · rest · stick · wax

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. root — of a word
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. rest — what's left
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. stem — to come from
  8. tube — a container
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. root — of a plant
  11. wax — to grow
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. tube — the underground
  17. root — the cause
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. rest — what's left
  20. prune — to trim
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. wax — in the ear

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