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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  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. stem — a stem cell
  2. present — the time now
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. row — a line
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. present — there
  7. root — of a word
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. stem — to come from
  11. bank — for money
  12. bear — the animal
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. present — a gift
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bank — for money
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bank — of a river
  23. row — to paddle
  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