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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. root — of a word
  3. stem — to come from
  4. root — the cause
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. chest — a box
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. chest — of your body
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. snap — to click
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. chest — of your body
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. root — of a plant
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rock — a stone
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rock — music
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mate — a friend
  22. prune — to trim
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. mate — to breed

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