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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rest — a break
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. root — of a word
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. root — of a plant
  12. rest — what's left
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. season — of the year
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. lie — to recline
  23. rest — what's left
  24. season — in sport

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