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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 124 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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. prune — to trim
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. fall — to drop
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. shower — rain
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. stem — to come from
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. firm — a company
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. shower — to wash
  15. prune — to trim
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — a stone
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. root — the cause
  20. firm — decided
  21. root — of a plant
  22. fall — the season
  23. fall — to drop
  24. firm — steady

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