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

Word bank: cap · mouse · prune · content · stem · shower · kid · root

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. root — of a plant
  4. kid — to tease
  5. prune — to trim
  6. root — of a word
  7. content — the amount
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cap — a hat
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. shower — to wash
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. root — the cause
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. stem — to come from
  20. cap — of ice
  21. kid — child
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. content — happy

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