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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 120 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 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. bear — the animal
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. bear — the animal
  6. root — of a plant
  7. rest — what's left
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. stem — to come from
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. shower — rain
  12. root — the cause
  13. rest — a break
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. scale — size or range
  17. shower — to wash
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. rest — what's left
  20. scale — in music
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chair — a leader
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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