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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. stem — to come from
  3. wound — an injury
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. bank — for money
  8. mate — a partner
  9. root — the cause
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bank — for money
  12. tube — a container
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. wound — an injury
  16. root — of a word
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bank — of a river
  19. mate — a friend
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. prune — to trim
  22. tube — the underground
  23. mate — to breed
  24. stem — a stem cell

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