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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. can — a tin
  3. root — of a plant
  4. shower — rain
  5. spring — of water
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. spring — the season
  9. stem — to come from
  10. lean — to bend
  11. club — for dancing
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. shower — to wash
  14. mine — for digging
  15. root — the cause
  16. can — to be able to
  17. club — a group
  18. root — of a word
  19. spring — a coil
  20. club — for golf
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. lean — thin
  24. can — a tin

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