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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. ground — the earth
  4. stem — to come from
  5. root — the cause
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — a practice
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. ground — a position
  10. board — to get on
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. rash — hasty
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pass — a permit
  16. branch — a division
  17. drill — army training
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rash — a series
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. root — of a plant
  22. root — of a word
  23. board — a committee
  24. ground — crushed

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