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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 116 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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. can — to be able to
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. kid — to tease
  7. root — of a word
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. mark — a trace
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. root — the cause
  12. can — a tin
  13. stem — to come from
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. can — a tin
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. mark — a grade
  18. cold — an illness
  19. plane — a tool
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. kid — child
  22. cold — not warm
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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