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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wind · bear · craft · pit · stem · root

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. 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. pit — a hole
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — of a plant
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bear — the animal
  7. craft — a skill
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. craft — boats
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bear — the animal
  15. stem — to come from
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. pit — in a race
  18. 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