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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. root — of a plant
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. spell — magic
  9. pit — in a race
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. toast — bread
  12. root — the cause
  13. spell — a short time
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. stem — to come from
  16. spell — letters
  17. mate — a friend
  18. wind — moving air
  19. root — of a word
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. wind — moving air
  22. pit — a hole
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. mate — a partner

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