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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. root — of a word
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. drill — a practice
  5. bound — obliged
  6. face — to confront
  7. root — the cause
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. root — of a plant
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. drill — army training
  12. drill — the tool
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bound — certain
  15. rest — what's left
  16. spell — letters
  17. bound — tied together
  18. spell — magic
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. rest — a break
  21. spell — a short time
  22. face — to point toward
  23. rest — what's left
  24. stem — to come from

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