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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. kid — to tease
  4. root — of a plant
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. tube — a container
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. lean — to bend
  12. root — the cause
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. root — of a word
  16. stem — to come from
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. kid — child
  24. scale — size or range

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