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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. toast — bread
  3. root — of a plant
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. march — the month
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. root — of a word
  9. stem — to come from
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. cap — a hat
  12. march — the month
  13. craft — a skill
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — of ice
  20. march — music
  21. craft — boats
  22. root — the cause
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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