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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 120 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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. bulb — for light
  3. root — of a plant
  4. stem — to come from
  5. cold — not warm
  6. current — electric
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. cold — an illness
  10. root — of a word
  11. bulb — for light
  12. plane — a tool
  13. march — the month
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. current — of water
  17. root — the cause
  18. current — happening now
  19. foot — a measure
  20. march — the month
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. march — music
  24. bulb — of a plant

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