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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. land — a country
  3. root — the cause
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stem — to come from
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. tear — from crying
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. tear — to rip
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — to push
  14. root — of a word
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. press — a publisher
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. land — ground
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. lie — to recline
  22. can — a tin
  23. land — to come down
  24. root — of a plant

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