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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 120 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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. root — of a plant
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. root — of a word
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. wound — an injury
  8. spring — of water
  9. stem — to come from
  10. fork — in a road
  11. suit — in cards
  12. prune — to trim
  13. root — the cause
  14. prune — to trim
  15. suit — to fit
  16. wound — an injury
  17. spring — a coil
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. spring — the season
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. suit — clothes
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. drill — the tool
  24. drill — a practice

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