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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  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. stem — of a plant
  2. rest — a break
  3. cap — of ice
  4. stem — to come from
  5. rest — what's left
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. root — the cause
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. root — of a plant
  16. rest — what's left
  17. face — to point toward
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bat — the animal
  21. face — to confront
  22. root — of a word
  23. stem — a stem cell
  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