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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. root — the cause
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mark — a trace
  5. stem — to come from
  6. mark — a grade
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. present — there
  9. wake — a trail
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. root — of a word
  12. clip — a video
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. present — a gift
  19. rush — hurry
  20. root — of a plant
  21. present — the time now
  22. clip — for paper
  23. clip — to cut
  24. mark — to pay attention

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