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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. root — the cause
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mine — for digging
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. suit — to fit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — in cards
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — a stone
  14. root — of a plant
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. prune — to trim
  21. root — of a word
  22. stem — to come from
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. toast — bread

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