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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 120 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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. root — of a plant
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. present — there
  5. fall — to drop
  6. root — of a word
  7. ground — a position
  8. fall — the season
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ground — the earth
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. root — the cause
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. present — a gift
  15. present — the time now
  16. craft — boats
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. stem — to come from
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. stem — a stem cell

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