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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. stem — to come from
  3. rest — a break
  4. root — of a plant
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bound — certain
  7. rest — what's left
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. rest — what's left
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. bound — obliged
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — goods
  16. root — of a word
  17. snap — to click
  18. stem — a stem cell

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