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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. root — of a word
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. root — the cause
  6. game — wild animals
  7. lean — to bend
  8. land — to come down
  9. stem — to come from
  10. land — a country
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. bank — for money
  13. land — ground
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. bank — for money
  19. lean — thin
  20. game — a match
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. root — of a plant
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bank — of a river

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