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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. mark — a grade
  3. cell — a phone
  4. root — of a word
  5. tear — from crying
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a plant
  8. mark — a trace
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. tear — to rip
  11. hand — in cards
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. tear — from crying
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — help
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. cell — in biology
  21. foot — a measure
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. mark — to pay attention

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