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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. root — of a plant
  4. can — a tin
  5. band — a music group
  6. staff — a stick
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. can — a tin
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. stand — to bear
  11. content — happy
  12. root — of a word
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. content — the amount
  16. band — a ring
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. staff — employees
  19. can — to be able to
  20. staff — employees
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. stem — to come from
  23. root — the cause
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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