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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: prune · bank · stem · foot · bound · clip · snap · scale

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. stem — to come from
  3. clip — a video
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. bound — obliged
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. foot — a measure
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. snap — to click
  10. bank — for money
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. clip — to cut
  13. bank — for money
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. clip — for paper
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. bound — certain
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bank — of a river
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. scale — size or range
  23. prune — to trim
  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