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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. land — ground
  3. row — a line
  4. stem — to come from
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. land — to come down
  7. land — a country
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. row — to paddle
  10. rash — hasty
  11. root — of a word
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. date — the fruit
  14. rash — a series
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. root — the cause
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. root — of a plant
  24. arm — part of the body

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