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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  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. root — of a word
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. fall — the season
  4. face — to point toward
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. face — part of the head
  9. wake — a trail
  10. fall — to drop
  11. stand — to bear
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. root — the cause
  14. fall — to drop
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. face — to confront
  19. stem — to come from
  20. rush — hurry
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. stem — of a plant
  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