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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — moving air
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bank — for money
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. root — of a word
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bank — for money
  11. tube — the underground
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. root — of a plant
  15. root — the cause
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. stem — to come from
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. craft — boats
  20. bat — the animal
  21. fork — in a road
  22. tube — a container
  23. craft — a skill
  24. bank — of a river

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