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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. clip — for paper
  3. prune — to trim
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. prune — to trim
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. root — of a word
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — in cards
  14. root — the cause
  15. clip — to cut
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stem — to come from
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. stand — to bear
  21. root — of a plant
  22. clip — a video
  23. hand — help
  24. bulb — for light

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