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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. stem — to come from
  4. ground — the earth
  5. spring — of water
  6. root — the cause
  7. ground — crushed
  8. root — of a plant
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. can — a tin
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. spring — the season
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. can — a tin
  19. spring — a coil
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. can — to be able to
  22. root — of a word
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. ground — a position

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