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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. root — the cause
  3. stem — to come from
  4. root — of a word
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bass — low music
  7. bass — the fish
  8. press — newspapers
  9. mug — to rob
  10. content — happy
  11. content — the amount
  12. press — to push
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mug — a face
  15. root — of a plant
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. mug — a cup
  19. press — a publisher
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. wind — moving air

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