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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. root — of a word
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. stem — to come from
  7. fork — in a road
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. mug — a cup
  13. root — the cause
  14. fall — the season
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mug — a face
  18. kick — in football
  19. fall — to drop
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. root — of a plant
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. jam — a tight spot

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