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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: root · stem · cap · pass · wound · chair · lean · calf

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. stem — to come from
  5. root — the cause
  6. root — of a plant
  7. wound — an injury
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. wound — an injury
  10. cap — a hat
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. cap — of ice
  18. pass — a permit
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. lean — thin
  21. cap — a lid
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. root — of a word
  24. stem — a stem cell

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