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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. roll — a list
  3. root — of a plant
  4. stem — to come from
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. roll — a cake
  7. bear — the animal
  8. present — a gift
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. present — there
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. root — the cause
  14. wound — an injury
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. bear — the animal
  22. present — the time now
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. root — of a word

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