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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. lean — to bend
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. root — of a plant
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pass — a permit
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. stem — to come from
  12. root — the cause
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. root — of a word
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. wound — an injury
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. lean — thin
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. wound — an injury

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