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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. root — of a word
  3. row — to paddle
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. fall — to drop
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. root — of a plant
  10. root — the cause
  11. fall — to drop
  12. deal — to handle
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bat — the animal
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. fall — the season
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. row — a line
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — all right
  23. chair — a leader
  24. chair — to sit on

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