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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. root — the cause
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. cap — a hat
  5. stem — to come from
  6. mug — a cup
  7. cap — a lid
  8. last — final
  9. branch — a division
  10. root — of a word
  11. cap — of ice
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. wax — to grow
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. root — of a plant
  16. mug — to rob
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. last — finally
  21. mug — a face
  22. last — to go on
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. wax — in the ear

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