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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. bore — to tire
  3. root — the cause
  4. club — a group
  5. stem — to come from
  6. current — happening now
  7. face — part of the head
  8. current — of water
  9. last — finally
  10. current — electric
  11. club — for golf
  12. root — of a plant
  13. club — for dancing
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bore — to drill
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. face — to point toward
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. last — to go on
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. root — of a word
  22. face — to confront
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. last — final

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