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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. court — of a king
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. wake — a trail
  7. staff — employees
  8. root — of a word
  9. snap — to click
  10. root — the cause
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. stem — to come from
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. court — for sport
  15. court — of law
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. root — of a plant
  18. staff — a stick
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. staff — employees
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. hide — to keep secret

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