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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: jam · hand · roll · stem · face · can · root · ground

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. 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. ground — the earth
  2. face — to point toward
  3. face — to confront
  4. root — of a word
  5. can — to be able to
  6. ground — a position
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. hand — in cards
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. can — a tin
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. stem — to come from
  13. roll — a list
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. roll — a cake
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. ground — crushed
  19. face — part of the head
  20. root — of a plant
  21. can — a tin
  22. hand — help
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. 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