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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 116 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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. capital — a city
  9. stand — to bear
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. stem — to come from
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. capital — money
  14. root — of a plant
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. ball — a dance
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. wake — a trail
  20. root — the cause
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. root — of a word

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