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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. root — of a word
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. ground — a position
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. ground — the earth
  13. perch — the fish
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. ground — crushed
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. root — the cause
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. charge — a price
  24. stem — to come from

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