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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. fall — the season
  4. root — of a plant
  5. charge — in control
  6. root — the cause
  7. charge — a price
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. charge — electricity
  10. fall — to drop
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. bass — the fish
  16. fall — to drop
  17. ground — a position
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. stem — to come from
  20. ground — crushed
  21. bass — low music
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. snap — to click
  24. ground — the earth

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