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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. root — of a plant
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. root — the cause
  7. kid — child
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. track — a song
  11. track — to keep track
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. track — a path
  15. wax — to grow
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. kid — to tease
  18. stem — to come from
  19. plane — a tool
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. root — of a word

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