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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 120 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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. root — of a plant
  3. foot — a measure
  4. root — of a word
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. rush — hurry
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. face — to point toward
  10. root — the cause
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. prune — to trim
  14. face — to confront
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. 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