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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. root — of a word
  5. bulb — for light
  6. chair — a leader
  7. rock — music
  8. stem — to come from
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — in sport
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. root — the cause
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bulb — for light
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — a stone
  21. bore — to drill
  22. season — of the year
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. root — of a plant

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