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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. can — to be able to
  3. chest — of your body
  4. root — the cause
  5. can — a tin
  6. saw — the tool
  7. root — of a plant
  8. press — a publisher
  9. stem — to come from
  10. can — a tin
  11. club — a group
  12. bound — tied together
  13. press — newspapers
  14. chest — of your body
  15. root — of a word
  16. saw — the tool
  17. press — to push
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. bound — certain
  20. chest — a box
  21. club — for golf
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bound — obliged
  24. club — for dancing

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