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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rest — a break
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. root — the cause
  8. bulb — for light
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. root — of a plant
  11. drill — army training
  12. fork — in a road
  13. root — of a word
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — to play on
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. drill — a practice
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. swing — in golf
  23. rest — what's left
  24. drill — the tool

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