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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. stem — to come from
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. fine — all right
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. pit — in a race
  9. present — there
  10. present — a gift
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. root — of a plant
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. wax — to grow
  15. stand — to bear
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. root — the cause
  18. pit — a hole
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. root — of a word
  21. foot — a measure
  22. present — the time now
  23. fine — high quality
  24. foot — 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