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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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. root — of a word
  3. wound — an injury
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. lean — thin
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. hand — in cards
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — to come from
  12. lean — to bend
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. board — a committee
  16. root — the cause
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. board — to get on
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. hand — help
  22. vault — a safe
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. wound — an injury

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