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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. march — music
  3. root — of a plant
  4. sharp — clever
  5. charge — in control
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. rule — a law
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. march — the month
  11. charge — a price
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. stem — to come from
  14. root — the cause
  15. charge — electricity
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. rule — government
  19. root — of a word
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. lie — to recline
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. march — the month
  24. lie — an untruth

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