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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. bear — the animal
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. bear — the animal
  6. face — part of the head
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. root — of a word
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. root — the cause
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. fork — in a road
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. face — to confront
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. face — to point toward
  20. stock — shares
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. root — of a plant
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. stock — goods

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