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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. root — of a word
  3. bat — the animal
  4. firm — decided
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. firm — a company
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. key — in music
  11. root — of a plant
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. firm — steady
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. key — the most important part
  19. root — the cause
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — boats

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