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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 116 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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. kid — to tease
  3. bear — the animal
  4. root — the cause
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. root — of a word
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. kid — child
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. cell — in biology
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. bear — the animal
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. chip — for betting
  24. cell — a phone

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