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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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Word bank
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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. root — the cause
  7. cell — in biology
  8. cell — a phone
  9. stem — to come from
  10. root — of a word
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. plane — a tool
  14. file — a tool
  15. wake — a trail
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. root — of a plant
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. file — a line of people
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. file — a document
  22. kick — in football
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. plane — an aircraft

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