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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  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. stem — of a plant
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. capital — a city
  4. fall — the season
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. stem — to come from
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. fall — to drop
  9. kick — in football
  10. charge — a price
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — the cause
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. charge — electricity
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. foot — a measure
  18. charge — in control
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fork — in a road
  23. capital — money
  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