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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. root — the cause
  3. rest — a break
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. root — of a word
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. stem — to come from
  9. rest — what's left
  10. face — to point toward
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to confront
  13. rest — what's left
  14. drill — army training
  15. drill — a practice
  16. rule — government
  17. squash — the sport
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. rule — a law
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. squash — to crush
  23. drill — the tool
  24. root — 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