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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. root — of a plant
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. stem — to come from
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. prune — to trim
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cap — a hat
  15. capital — a city
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. root — the cause
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. root — of a word
  21. cap — of ice
  22. prune — to trim
  23. capital — money
  24. bulb — for light

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