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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. root — the cause
  3. root — of a word
  4. lean — to bend
  5. chest — a box
  6. root — of a plant
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. chest — of your body
  9. field — for sport
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. field — farmland
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. lean — thin
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bulb — for light
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bulb — for light
  24. field — a subject

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