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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 116 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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. mark — a trace
  3. root — the cause
  4. root — of a word
  5. root — of a plant
  6. march — the month
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. march — music
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. kid — to tease
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. march — the month
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. kid — child
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — to keep secret

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