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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 116 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. cap — a hat
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. bear — the animal
  7. chip — for betting
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stem — to come from
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. root — of a plant
  12. cap — a lid
  13. plane — a tool
  14. root — the cause
  15. chip — to eat
  16. dip — to sink
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. bear — the animal
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. cap — of ice
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. root — of a word
  24. bear — to put up with

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