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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. root — the cause
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. root — of a plant
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. charge — a price
  9. stem — to come from
  10. charge — electricity
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. clip — to cut
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. root — of a word
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. charge — in control
  17. clip — a video
  18. clip — for paper

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