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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. fall — to drop
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. stem — to come from
  6. bank — of a river
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. spring — a coil
  9. rule — a law
  10. root — of a plant
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bank — for money
  13. spring — the season
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. rule — government
  16. spring — of water
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. root — of a word
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. root — the cause
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. bank — for money
  23. fall — the season
  24. rule — to rule out

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