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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 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — to get on
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. prune — to trim
  7. root — the cause
  8. can — to be able to
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. firm — steady
  15. root — of a plant
  16. firm — a company
  17. prune — to trim
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. can — a tin
  20. firm — decided
  21. season — of the year
  22. stem — to come from
  23. season — in sport
  24. can — a tin

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