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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. root — of a plant
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. lean — thin
  6. root — the cause
  7. plane — a tool
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. root — of a word
  14. wake — a trail
  15. lean — to bend
  16. field — for sport
  17. scale — size or range
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. stem — to come from
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. field — a subject
  24. field — farmland

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