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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. track — a path
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. root — of a plant
  5. hand — help
  6. chest — a box
  7. hand — in cards
  8. pass — a permit
  9. track — a song
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. current — electric
  13. current — happening now
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. current — of water
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — of your body
  20. root — of a word
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. track — to keep track
  23. stem — to come from
  24. root — the cause

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