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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bear — the animal
  4. root — of a word
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wake — a trail
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. fine — all right
  10. scale — in music
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. stem — to come from
  13. rash — a series
  14. rash — hasty
  15. scale — size or range
  16. root — the cause
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. plane — a tool
  20. fine — high quality
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. root — of a plant

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