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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. saw — the tool
  3. root — of a plant
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. saw — the tool
  14. net — in sport
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. plane — a tool
  18. root — of a word
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. root — the cause
  21. dip — to sink
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. net — for catching
  24. net — after costs

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