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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — of your body
  4. rush — hurry
  5. cold — not warm
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. cold — an illness
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. root — the cause
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mark — a trace
  15. root — of a word
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. stem — to come from
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. chair — a leader
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. mark — a grade
  23. chest — a box
  24. chair — a professorship

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