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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. degree — temperature
  6. staff — employees
  7. root — of a word
  8. staff — a stick
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. tube — a container
  12. degree — from a university
  13. tube — the underground
  14. root — the cause
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. root — of a plant
  17. staff — employees
  18. foot — a measure
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. degree — an amount
  21. lean — thin
  22. stem — to come from
  23. lean — to bend
  24. coach — a trainer

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