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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. root — of a word
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. press — a publisher
  8. stem — to come from
  9. cap — a hat
  10. lie — to recline
  11. cap — of ice
  12. root — of a plant
  13. row — to paddle
  14. root — the cause
  15. press — to push
  16. tear — to rip
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. press — newspapers
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bulb — for light
  23. tear — from crying
  24. cap — a lid

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