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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pop — to visit
  8. lean — thin
  9. root — of a plant
  10. rest — a break
  11. lean — to bend
  12. craft — a skill
  13. pop — soda
  14. rest — what's left
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. craft — boats
  18. root — of a word
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. rest — what's left
  22. root — the cause
  23. pop — music
  24. stem — to come from

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