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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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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 plant
  3. firm — a company
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. land — a country
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. land — ground
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. firm — steady
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. land — to come down
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. root — of a word
  14. rash — a series
  15. root — the cause
  16. sharp — clever
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. stem — to come from
  19. firm — decided
  20. lean — to bend
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. lean — thin
  24. rash — hasty

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