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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — to come from
  3. root — of a plant
  4. key — in music
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. clip — a video
  10. root — the cause
  11. rash — a series
  12. clip — to cut
  13. key — for a lock
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a hat
  16. rash — hasty
  17. key — the most important part
  18. root — of a word
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. clip — for paper
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. wake — a trail
  24. cap — a lid

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