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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. stem — to come from
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. scale — size or range
  9. plane — a tool
  10. root — of a plant
  11. spell — letters
  12. scale — in music
  13. chair — a leader
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. spell — a short time
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. root — the cause
  21. root — of a word
  22. spell — magic
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. chair — a professorship

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