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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. root — of a plant
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. fine — all right
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cap — a hat
  8. plane — a tool
  9. rash — a series
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. cap — of ice
  12. season — of the year
  13. cap — a lid
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. rash — hasty
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. root — of a word
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. fine — high quality
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. root — the cause

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