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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. suit — in cards
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. stem — to come from
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. suit — to fit
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. spell — a short time
  10. root — the cause
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. spell — letters
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — the season
  17. suit — clothes
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. fall — to drop
  21. root — of a plant
  22. pound — a weight
  23. root — of a word
  24. spell — magic

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